Perfect Illusions
by waterwingeddove
Summary: Set only a few days after Trials and Tribulations, Phoenix Wright finds himself caught up in another group of cases that drag the rest of his friends and affiliates into the mix with him. It doesn't help that the cases prove to be hell for everyone involved.
1. Escape from Turnabout: Part 1

"Court is now in session for the case of The People v. Chris Archer. Are the prosecution and defense ready?"

He heard those words a dozen times over, and yet each time it managed to invoke a bit of nerves in his stomach. Every time he somehow smoothed his voice over so he managed to say, "The defense is ready, Your Honor!" without stuttering or crying. Pretrial jitters never seem to go away, no matter how experienced he may be at this point.

Phoenix wasn't really sure how exactly he had gotten the case. Apparently the defendant had heard of Wright's presence in the courtroom and called the office from the detention center. It was one of the few times Phoenix or Maya didn't push for the case from hearing about it on the news. It was a bit strange, but rent didn't pay itself. He needed this case.

"The prosecution is ready as well, Your Honor." The wimpish prosecutor, Winston Payne, said in a shrill voice.

"Then let's begin with prosecution's opening statement." The judge said, "Mr. Payne, if you will."

Payne had a sly grin scribbled across his lips, and he stared Phoenix down as he spoke, "The defendant, Chris Archer, has been accused of hazing and murdering a prospective member of his college sorority, the victim Milan Jackson. The prosecution is prepared to present a decisive witness who places the defendant at the scene of the murder, _and_ gives motive for the defendant to kill Ms. Jackson."

"I see. Call your first witness to the stand." The judge responded.

Payne nodded, "The prosecution calls Jessie Robinson to the stand!"

As the young woman made her way to the witness's stand, Maya nudged Phoenix's side, "Do you think we can even win this trial? We barely have any evidence!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! We can't let them know that!" Phoenix shot back in a stage whisper, "...Besides. I'm perfectly fine in pretending that isn't the case."

"I'm not feeling too good about this…" Maya crossed her arms and huffed, pouting, "I think our guy's guilty. He's a jerk. And he looks funny."

"Maya! You can't say that!"

Maya only muttered something under her breath at that, and then she tuned back into the trial at hand. The judge, Payne, and the witness were all staring at Phoenix and Maya, shooting them a look like, 'Are you finished yet?' Phoenix and Maya just straightened themselves out, and then the judge instructed Jessie to give her testimony regarding her and the victim's background.

Jessie fiddled with her glasses and let out a long, shaky breath, trying to steady herself before she began. "Me and Milan go way back...all the way to third grade! We were best friends all the way through school, and then in high school, we got accepted into the same colleges! We decided on Columbus University, and once we got here, we decided to join a frat. We picked Phi Gamma to pledge to."

The judge nodded and stroked his beard in thought, "Very important background to the case…" He said, opening his eyes and focusing on Phoenix, "Defense, your cross."

Phoenix was sweating bullets at that point. _There's literally nothing wrong with that testimony… There's barely anything in it to begin with!_ He thought to himself. Eventually he swallowed his nerves and started with his cross.

"So, Ms. Robinson…" Phoenix cleared his throat, "What made you decide to join Phi Gamma of all the sororities on campus?"

"Milan's parents were both Gammas. That's how they met. Milan wanted nothing more than to be a Gamma, and wherever she goes, I go." Jessie responded, seeming to get into the hang of things more.

Phoenix nodded idly, "Right… Um…" He tapped his chin, "And Phi Gamma is the sorority in which Chris Archer is the president of, correct?"

"Yes." Jessie nodded, "That he is."

Things fell silent over the courtroom for a moment. Phoenix let out a sigh, "...No further questions at this time, Your Honor." He said, quiet and defeated.

The judge turned to Jessie, "Witness, please testify regarding the pledging process for Phi Gamma."

"Ooookay…" Jessie breathed uneasily. "The pledging process was horrible. We were forced to do horrible things. They made us strip to our underwear, eat dirt, drink _way_ too much alcohol, and that wasn't even the worst of it. When things got real bad was during Hell Week, the last week before the sorority announces which pledges made it. At the start of the week, Chris tried to get Milan to sleep with his friend Brian, and if she did that, Chris ensured that she'd get in without a doubt. But she refused, and Chris held a grudge ever since."

"Your Honor," Payne was smirking when he butted in after Jessie's testimony, "This goes to establish the defendant's motive for the crime. Rejection."

 _But he wasn't even the one getting rejected…_ Phoenix thought to himself, drops of sweat rolling down his grimacing face.

"I see… Well, the Defense may try their hands at a cross examination." The judge instructed.

Right as Phoenix hesitantly opened his mouth to speak, he heard a rather obnoxious "Pssst!" that stopped him. He turned to Maya.

"Try not to seem so nervous, would you?! You're making the both of us look bad!" Maya scolded.

 _We_ are _in a pretty bad spot right now… It's not like I can help it!_ Phoenix shook his head, brushing Maya off and instead trying for a cross again, "Could you go more in depth for as to this 'grudge' Chris Archer allegedly held?"

Jessie sighed, shaking her head, "Everyone has the hots for Milan. They all had since high school. You see, she used to be _really_ ugly as a kid, but suddenly she turned drop-dead gorgeous by freshman year. Men can't get enough of her. Brian had the hots for Milan, that I know. Brian thought that Chris's position as president could get him a booty call, easy-peasy. Milan saying 'no' not only pissed off Brian, who was Chris's best friend, but it also made Chris look weak for not being able to fully control a pledge. That would make anyone angry."

 _This looks so bad…_ Phoenix held his tongue, and he only hung his head. The judge took that as permission to move on.

"Alright, I think that's enough background. Let's get to the day of the murder and move things along. Witness, if you'd please…"

"It makes me sad just thinking about it… It was the last night of Hell Week, and the pledges were all required to put blindfolds on- myself and Milan included. But Chris had something different in mind. I heard him say to Milan that he 'had something special in mind for her and her alone,' and I heard Milan's heels against the cobblestone as they left. Before I knew it, I heard shouts, and despite the rules, I took my blindfold off. That's when I saw it: Milan on the ledge of the huge clock tower near the frat house! I couldn't believe it, because she had always been afraid of heights, but then I saw Chris come up from behind and grab her shoulder, pushing her off the ledge! The next thing I knew, Milan's body was splattered against the ground, and there was blood everywhere…" Jessie's voice trailed off and she sniffled. Phoenix's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy.

"The victim's autopsy confirms that the cause of death was falling from an extreme height. I submit this into evidence." Payne said, placing an envelope on the table in the front of the courtroom, "I would also like to submit this crime scene analysis of where the victim landed. She could have only reached the spot she did if she were pushed from off the top of the tower."

 _Yikes…_ Phoenix thought, _That rules out any accidents…_

"The court accepts this evidence. The defense may begin its cross."

Phoenix then jumped directly into the cross examination, "If the victim was so afraid of heights, what was she doing on top of the clock tower?"

"She had a flag in her hands. Chris's plan for her was to have her string it up at the top of the tower. She couldn't refuse." Jessie explained.

Phoenix grinned, and he could feel his blood pumping. There was his break!

"OBJECTION!"

Payne seemed startled, and the judge's eyes were wide, "Y-Yes, Mr. Wright?" The judge asked.

"There's a blatant contradiction in the witness's testimony!" Phoenix exclaimed proudly, fists resting against his hips.

"Whaaaat?!" Jessie spat, hugging herself in surprise, "I did what now?!"

"Explain, Mr. Wright!" The judge ordered.

"Ms. Robinson, did you not testify earlier that the victim once refused another request from the defendant, the one on the subject of sleeping with his friend?" Phoenix asked, confidence brimming.

"Y-Yes…" Jessie stammered.

Reeling back his arm, Phoenix threw his hand forward to point at the witness, "So why is it that the victim 'couldn't refuse' that day on the clock tower, but she had earlier in the week?!"

"I-It was the last day of Hell Week! That's when things really mattered! No one in the right mind would refuse something on the final day!" Jessie said, balling her fists.

"Fine, let's say that's true. There's still an issue, however." Phoenix said vaguely, dropping his hand.

"Well?!" The judge jumped in, "I'm on the edge of my seat! What is it?!"

"You also testified that both of the victim's parents were Gammas. That would mean…" Phoenix slammed his hands on his desk before pointing at Jessie again, "...that Milan Jackson was a legacy! Chris Archer could have in no way hazed her, because Milan was guaranteed acceptance in the Gammas no matter what!"

Payne reeled back, letting out a shriek. The entire courtroom erupted into chatter, and three strikes from the judge's gavel brought the room back into order.

"The defense has a point! Mr. Payne, what do you say to that?" The judge said, looking over at the prosecution's bench.

For someone who let out the girliest shriek earlier, Payne seemed to have recovered fully, and was actually smirking, "We request the witness be relieved from the stand."

 _Why is he so confident…_ Phoenix was grimacing yet again. Payne had an ace up his sleeve.

"Ms. Robinson, you are dismissed." The judge said.

Jessie sighed and was escorted off the stand by the bailiff. The judge looked back to Payne, "Does the prosecution have any further motions?"

Payne nodded, "I was hoping to not need to use this one, but I should know better by now that Wright's stupid luck would force my hand… The prosecution calls Tyler Maxwell to the stand!"

Maya tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, "Huh?! Who's that guy?"

Payne was fanning himself in a gloat, eyes closed and a smirk still on his expression, "The man who was with the defendant and the victim on top of the clock tower… An eyewitness to the very crime itself!"

"...We are so screwed." Maya said.

"I know, Maya…" Phoenix hung his head with a sigh, "I know."


	2. Escape from Turnabout: Part 2

"The prosecution calls Tyler Maxwell to the stand!"

"...We are so screwed." Maya said.

"I know, Maya…" Phoenix hung his head with a sigh, "I know."

A young man who looked to be about the age of the defendant settled in at the witness's stand. He looked relatively apathetic. He also looked to have had severe resting bitch face, but he also could have been glaring at the defendant. Phoenix couldn't really tell.

"Name and occupation, sir." Payne stated, confident smirk on his face still. He was certainly positive in this witness.

"Tyler Maxwell." He said, voice gruff and agitated, "I'm the vice president of Phi Gamma...and I would have been president, if not for that backstabber over in that chair!" Tyler spat, pointing at Chris in the defendant's chair.

"Order!" The judge shouted, pounding his gavel, "Witness! If you cannot behave, you will be evicted from this courtroom posthaste!"

Tyler crossed his arms and let out a huff, blowing his bangs out of his eyes, "Whatever."

"Anyways… Mr. Payne said that you were an eyewitness at the scene of the crime. Is that true?" The judge asked.

"Yeah, that's true. I saw Chris murder Milan with my own eyes!" Tyler said.

"Then please testify to this fact." The judge requested.

"It was the last day of Hell Week. We had all the pledges lined up for their last initiation test. Suddenly, Chris goes up to Milan and gave her a specific test: to hang the sorority flag up on the clock tower. The two of them started running for that tower, and I chased after them before I could stop myself. I climbed up the tower with them, and I was on the ledge as well. Chris shoved Milan off once I arrived, and I watched as she fell. I know Chris did it. There's no doubt in my mind." Tyler said forcefully, eyes never wavering from Chris as he testified.

"Defense, you know what to do." The judge said.

Phoenix rubbed his chin in thought, eyes focused off to the side, "Pardon my hesitation to believe you, Mr. Maxwell, but the eyewitness earlier never mentioned a third person on the ledge."

"The other witness was Jess, ain't it?" Tyler simply retorted, "Surely you noticed her glasses. We asked her to take them off to make sure she couldn't see through the blindfold. I know this, because I was the one to hold on to them for her. She couldn't see everything too well without them."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix turned towards Payne, "What is the point of having two witnesses when one completely invalidates the other's testimony?!"

"Same point, different details." Payne dismissed Phoenix's claims with a wave, "There's no issue here."

"I agree with the prosecution." The judge added, "I see no problem with this."

For a brief moment, Phoenix grimaced and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he recovered soon enough, "I, for one, see a huge problem!"

"Which is…?" Payne asked.

"Even if Ms. Robinson was without her glasses, I don't believe she was wrong in saying that she only saw two figures!" Phoenix slammed his hands down on the desk, "I just believe she misidentified who was with Milan on that ledge!"

"Oh?" The judge blinked rapidly, "Who do you think was on that ledge, then?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's the witness!" Phoenix pointed at Tyler, and the courtroom erupted into chatter at the accusation.

The judge pounded his gavel. Maya sent Phoenix an unsure look.

"Uh…" She trailed off, "Do you have any idea what you're doing here, Nick?"

"No." Phoenix replied simply, "I'm just rolling with it."

Maya placed her elbows on the desk and rested her head in her hands, "Oh boy…"

"Order!" The judge yelled, "Mr. Wright! What compels you to accuse the witness of murder on a whim?!"

Phoenix grinned a bit, "I have no reason to doubt Ms. Robinson's testimony. She made no mention of being without her glasses, so we have no choice but to go with Maxwell's word. Even without her glasses, she should have been able to discern basic shapes. There's no reason for her to be unable to see three figures on the ledge."

"Proooooof!" Payne yelped, "You need proof!"

 _Of course I do…_ Phoenix's confidence faltered for a moment, but then he presented Maxwell's profile on the courtroom's screen. "The proof is in the grudge Maxwell holds against Chris Archer. He called the defendant a backstabber no less than ten minutes ago because Chris Archer took the spot as president when it should have been Maxwell's." Phoenix took a second before looking over towards Maxwell, "Allow me to guess. You were the head of New Gammas freshman year, weren't you?"

"Yes… I was…" Maxwell muttered.

Phoenix's confidence increased at that, "Now, I wasn't in a frat myself when I was in college, but I still knew about how things normally worked. If you're head of New Gammas freshman year, you're a shoe-in for becoming president your senior year, but somehow, Chris Archer managed to get elected instead of you. Isn't that right, Maxwell?"

Maxwell only grunted in defeat. Phoenix took it as a yes.

"That angered you greatly, didn't it? To have that honor ripped out under you by this pathetic guy?!" Phoenix pointed towards Chris.

"H-Hey! That's our client, Nick! Don't call him pathetic!" Maya stammered, though she ultimately was ignored.

"Damn straight I was angry! I still am!" Tyler yelled, gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on his sleeve.

"But… You still managed to become vice president. That's only one step away from becoming president, should the acting one suddenly… Oh, I don't know… get arrested and not be able to perform his duties anymore?" Phoenix grinned.

Tyler's eyes widened, "W-What?!"

"You pinned this crime on him so you could take his position of president that he stole from you, didn't you?" Phoenix pointed at Tyler, "You killed Milan Jackson because you knew that everyone would think Chris Archer did it! He already had a bone to pick with the defendant, and the opportunity was too perfect to pass up on!"

"And how do you intend to back this up, Mr. Wright?" The judge chimed in suddenly, as to make sure Phoenix didn't forget the fundamentals of the courtroom.

"With Ms. Robinson's testimony, of course!" Phoenix pounded his hands on his desk again, "She only saw two figures on the clock tower! It doesn't line up with Maxwell's take on events, and unlike Maxwell, she has no reason to lie!"

The judge stroked his beard and closed his eyes for a moment. He looked to be thinking everything over, "...There's a possibility to this that I cannot deny. Witness, what is your response to these accusations?"

Tyler lowered his head and growled, but he lifted his gaze soon enough, and his expression had softened considerably, "That's not what happened. I would never take Milan's life just to ruin Chris's, no matter how much I'd like to. I...loved her."

"WHAAAAAT?!" Phoenix shouted, eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Don't…make me say it again." Tyler fixed his eyes on the ground, "I would never hurt her."

"Witness!" The judge interjected, eyes still wide from the surprise, "Please testify about your relationship with the deceased!"

Tyler let out a sigh, "If you say so…"

"We're still so screwed…" Maya muttered to Phoenix.

"I _know,_ Maya…" Phoenix shot back.

"Milan and I… we hit it off really well on the first day of initiation. She was smart, pretty, and reserved… and she was so passionate about the Gammas. I was taken nearly instantly. Now… I kind of have a problem. A drinking problem. It turns out she does too. She's a really bad perfectionist, and she drinks a lot because of the stress of trying to be perfect all the time. We'd drink together and talk all night about nearly everything. I'd never kill her to get back at Chris. He's too much of a scumbag to waste an innocent life to take him down." Tyler said those last few words filled with spite, yet Phoenix couldn't spot anything wrong with it.

Phoenix looked up to the judge, who had tears in his eyes and was blowing his nose into a handkerchief. "How tragic…!" The judge said, immediately blowing his nose again.

At a loss for words, Phoenix just stared down at the ground, dumbfounded.

The judge had managed to stop crying, and he glanced down at Wright, "Any questions from the defense for cross?"

Phoenix was completely out of ideas. He looked over to Maya, who just shook her head. It didn't look like she believed Mia would be of any help at that moment. Phoenix lowered his head and sighed. Maybe he truly had a guilty client this time. It was bound to happen at some point.

"The defense...rests." Phoenix sighed, closing his eyes in defeat.

"Then if the prosecution has no objections, I shall declare my verdict." The judge continued.

Payne looked absolutely delighted to be on the winning side of things, "The prosecution has no objections!"

The judge nodded, "Then I declare the defendant, Mr. Chris Archer…"

"HOLD IT!"

The entire courtroom froze in that moment from the booming voice. It wasn't Maya. It certainly wasn't Payne… And it wasn't Phoenix.

"Who… Who said that?" The judge looked around, blinking in shock.

"It's me, Your Honor!" One of the bailiffs shouted, "The defendant has gone missing!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Nearly everyone in the courtroom screamed.

The judge pounded down on his gavel, "Bailiffs! Track down the defendant at once! Get the police to put out a search for this man! I won't have anyone escape the power of justice!"

The bailiffs all left the courtroom, and the police mobilized. Phoenix and Maya were left in the midst of the chaos, looking at each other with expressions mixed with relief, confusion, and shock.

The defendant is declared…missing?!

* * *

Later that night, when Phoenix went home without even a celebration dinner due to the outcome of the case, he received a strange call on his phone.

"You and I, we need to share words…" The ominous voice came from the other line.

"Who is this?" Phoenix said back, though he could draw his own conclusions easily enough.

"Who else, idiot? It's Chris Archer." Chris spat. His voice was dripping with malice, "You failed me!"

Phoenix shook his head frantically, "I can't win every case! It didn't help that heaps of evidence were stacked against you!"

Chris growled loud enough that the line clearly picked it up, "Well, I had to take matters into my own hands."

"You've already lost, Archer. Fleeing doesn't help you. Soon enough the police will find you, and you'll be facing even greater penalties than before." Phoenix sighed, "You dug your own grave."

"No… You're gonna fix this. I'm not going down for this murder." Chris was hasty to say, "I want to talk to you, you and you alone. No one else, not even that little girl. I'll tell you where I am if you promise to meet me alone."

Phoenix sighed, "Fine. Where are you? I'll be right over."

"Maine."

"MAINE?!" Phoenix blurted, nearly dropping his phone, "H-How did you get there so fast?!"

"I have my ways. I'll expect to see you in a day or so. Make it quick, Wright. I wouldn't want to have to resort to other measures to get you to fix this mess you've created…" Chris threatened.

Rubbing his temple, Phoenix let out a sigh, "I'll fly out there as soon as I can. We'll work something out."

"I'm sure we will. See you then, Phoenix Wright." And then there was a 'click,' and the line went dead.

Phoenix threw his phone on his bed and took his head in his hands, letting out an annoyed groan. Before he knew it, he was pulling out a small travel bag and a pen and paper.

Looks like Phoenix needed to go on a little trip.


	3. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 1

"Nick! Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!" Maya called in the empty lobby. Strange. She was never the first one there. "Did you fall asleep in your office again? Gosh, Nick… One disastrous case is not gonna be the end of you!"

Maya walked into the private office and looked around, "Niiiiick! Come on, wake up- _oh._ " There was no one there, "Okay, what gives! This is some crummy joke, Nick! You better come out of hiding!" She got no response, and she just let out a sigh, "Geez…"

Her gaze flew over to the empty desk, where she spotted her glowing magatama just sitting there. She moved over and picked it up, looking it over, "Huh… He must have left it here…" Maya looked back at the desk, spotting something golden, "And his attorney's badge?! He never goes anywhere without it!" Upon further inspection, there was something that was initially beneath the magatama: a note that read 'to Maya' on the front. Maya placed the magatama on the desk and picked up the note, opening it and reading it, even if the writing was god awful.

 _Dear Maya,_

 _I'm sorry I have to tell you like this! Archer called me last night requesting me to meet with him to 'fix the mess I made' today. I left immediately, but I have a court case that I absolutely cannot miss. So… I kinda need Edgeworth to fill in for me. I left everything he needs. Please show him this note so he can help._

 _The client's name is Daniel Tanner. I'm sorry to burden you all with this, but I'm afraid I have to see this through so Archer doesn't disappear forever. Surely Miles will understand. I'll make it up to everyone later!_

 _\- Phoenix_

Maya slowly lowered the note back onto the table, fuming silently. "That idiot…" She grumbled, suddenly snapping and gathering everything in her arms and running out of the office, "He's gonna owe me big time for this! Burgers on him for a week! No, a month!"

* * *

Balancing everything in her one hand, Maya furiously knocked at the door with her free hand to what she hoped was Miles' home, not even taking a single second break.

The door flew open soon enough and Maya just ended up knocking the air for a few moments as she was not letting up, "What on earth is it?!-" Miles spat, but he recognized Maya soon enough, "...Oh. Maya. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Nick is so _stupid!_ " Maya fumed, stomping her foot.

Miles furrowed his brow and blinked in response, "I'm sure you're correct, Maya, but what has he done this time?"

"He upped and left, that's what!" Maya let out a heavy sigh, calming herself somewhat, "And he's leaving us to clean up after his messes."

"That certainly sounds like him.." Miles pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "What does he want us to do now?"

Maya shoved the note towards Miles, "You read it for yourself…" She said, huffing.

Miles squinted. He didn't have his glasses at the moment as he was in too much of a rush to answer the door, but he eventually decoded the note and let out a disapproving grunt, "Typical Wright. I'm afraid I can't help you with this, Maya."

"What?!" Maya threw her arms down in surprise, "W-Why?!"

"Because I'm prosecuting Daniel Tanner in his trial tomorrow." Miles closed his eyes and sighed, "I can't switch sides, either. My name's already tied to the prosecution's side. If I inexplicably drop the case then mysteriously appear at the defense's bench, I'd be discovered in a second's notice. I'm truly sorry, Maya. My hands are tied."

Maya groaned, tapping her foot stubbornly, "Oh, man… What are we gonna do…?"

Miles rubbed his chin for a moment, pondering everything over for a minute, "I may have an idea, but it's a long shot. I'd honestly be surprised if it worked."

"What other option do we have…?" Maya asked helplessly, shaking her head.

Miles stepped back and aside, gesturing for Maya to step into his house, "Come inside. I have a phone call to make, and we can discuss things further."

Maya forced a grin for a split-second, "You're a lifesaver, Miles. I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Sometimes I ask myself the same thing." Miles flashed a smile back.

* * *

Sometime later, after Maya somehow managed to convince Miles to make her lunch and some tea, someone knocked at Miles door.

Maya, mouth filled with food, peered over towards the door, "Who's that?" She said, voice muffled from the food in her mouth.

"Our saving grace, if we're fortunate enough. Please, do not get your hopes up. I'd hate to disappoint." Miles sighed, standing up and walking towards the door. He opened it wide and immediately stepped out of the way, not even looking at who was at the door. Miles has done this enough times to know the routine by heart by now.

Franziska von Karma easily strolled in through the door, arms crossed and her coiled whip in her hand. There was a prideful grin on her lips.

"Well, well, well…" Franziska hummed, glancing about as she walked inside before her gaze settled on Miles, "Calling for your big sister to save you? I must say, it's strangely uncharacteristic of you, Miles Edgeworth. Have you decided you needed a true prosecutor to take over your case to show you how it's done?" As if it were even possible, Franziska's smirk grew even more.

"Whaaaaaaaat?" Maya tilted her head, her expression a cross between surprise and disappointment, "Franziska's gonna help us out? Does she know how to do that? I don't think she's ever even said the h-word in her life!"

"What scornful words from such a dainty young girl…" Franziska teased, obviously amused and not even fazed by Maya's words.

Maya was in the middle of chowing down on food again, "Hey!" She shouted with her mouth full, "I'm the same age as you!"

Franziska furrowed her eyebrows, " _Really?_ Hmm. Who would have thought…" She shrugged easily and turned back to Miles, "Well, anyways. I'll take your spot as prosecutor if it truly pleases you. I'm sure I would do better than you would, Miles Edgeworth."

Miles shook his head, "You misunderstand. That is not what I was asking."

"I misunderstand?" Franziska tilted her head, "Then do enlighten me as to where I'm wrong."

"I do not need you to take over as prosecutor. I need you to take over as defense." Miles looked sternly over towards Franziska, taking on a completely serious aura.

Despite the serious air about them, Franziska had to stifle a laugh, "Ha, please… Enough games, Miles Edgeworth." She maintained a simple grin for a moment, but it slowly started to fade as she noticed Miles wasn't kidding, "...You...actually mean this…" She trailed off, knitting her eyebrows together.

Maya had finished the rest of the food and walked over to the two of them, and she pressed her index fingers together idly, "...We're kinda in a rough spot. We need your help."

Franziska recovered from her surprise and shook her head, "I'm a prosecutor, not a defense attorney. I know Miles has had a brief stint as defense, but I'm not interested in doing the same."

Miles sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms, "And here I thought you would be jumping at the opportunity…" He muttered.

Franziska stifled another laugh, glancing back over at Miles, "If you truly believed that, Miles Edgeworth, then you are delusional. I would never be a defense attorney."

"You haven't looked at the whole picture, have you?" Miles tilted his head, taking a few steps closer to Franziska slowly, "I'm the acting prosecutor for this case. You have the opportunity to take up the defense for Daniel Tanner. That gives you a one-on-one confrontation with me in the courtroom. You've always expressed your desire to surpass me, and you've always expressed disdain for me leaving you behind. This case gives you the opportunity to catch up and pass me. This is your chance to defeat me, once and for all."

Franziska looked Miles over as he spoke, brows furrowed and her expression clearly conflicted. Suddenly her mindset shifted from how she wouldn't be a defense attorney to how exactly she could pull something like that off, "I'm not agreeing to anything, but how would this even work should I agree?"

"Wright left me his badge and his magatama to use, but since I won't be prosecuting, I'll pass them over to you. Maya can help you investigate." Miles let out a pensive sigh, "I'll pull some strings to get a specific judge, one that doesn't know you so you're not at risk for being exposed. I managed it once before. Surely I could do it again."

Maya clasped her hands together and looked as sympathetic as she could, even if part of her thought Franziska lacked a soul to empathize with her, "Please, Ms. von Karma… We're counting on you and your amazingness to help us out here…!"

That pandering to Franziska's ego helped greatly to sway her decision. Eventually she closed her eyes and exhaled sharply, "...Fine. I'll do it."

Maya let out a happy squeal, and unable to stop herself, she tackled Franziska in a hug in the heat of the moment, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Franziska grimaced, staying completely still until Maya unhanded her, "Refrain from touching me at all times, Maya Fey. I've done nothing to deserve such an embrace to begin with. I'm solely doing this in the interest of my own revenge. Nothing more, nothing less."

Wincing slightly, Maya just recoiled and wrapped her arms around herself, "Okay, okay… I got it."

Miles nodded once, "Thank you, Franziska."

Franziska closed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't understand why you're so eager to remedy Phoenix Wright's blunders. It was a risky move in attempting to get my assistance for it, too."

"I owe a lot to him. This is me repaying my debt to him." Miles explained simply. Franziska appeared appeased.

"Come on, Franziska!" Maya cut in, regaining her usual bubbly attitude, "We got a case to investigate!"

Miles agreed, "Yes, there's no time to waste." He passed Phoenix's attorney's badge and the magatama to Franziska.

Franziska, understandably, was perplexed as to the importance of the magatama, "It's charming, I will admit. However, I'm afraid I'm wearing the perfect amount of accessories as is. I don't need another adornment."

Maya shook her head, "Pfft! That's not what makes this magatama important! It's a way to tell if someone is withholding the truth. It's filled with a mystic power that unveils the truth to whoever holds it! Things called Psyche-Locks appear around someone if they're hiding something from you. It's really helpful!"

Franziska arched a skeptical brow, "Is that so?"

"I can vouch for its efficacy." Miles added, "I've used it once. It's incredible."

Franziska nodded, more sold on the magatama now, "Alright. Come, Maya Fey. We've stalled long enough. We must visit Daniel Tanner immediately."

Maya balled her hands into fists and nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Let's go!"

"Wait." Miles interrupted, "Franziska, there's something else you must know."

"Please state it quickly. There is a lot of ground I must cover today." Franziska sighed.

"You've made quite a name for yourself in America, and while that is not a bad thing, it may hurt you in this trial. You cannot draw suspicion as to your true identity unless you wish to perjure yourself. That means no whip. It's quite an identifying mark of Franziska von Karma's presence." Miles said.

A brief wave of anger flashed over Franziska's face, but it quickly vanished once she thought it over more, "...Fine, Miles Edgeworth." She walked over and held out the coiled whip in her hand, "No whip."

Miles took it gingerly and nodded, "Thank you for your understanding. The moment this trial is over, you may have it back and deliver your lashings to your heart's content. I promise you that."

"Hmph." Franziska merely sounded in response, leaving Miles's home with Maya at her side.

The second the door closed behind them and they were walking down the path to the road, Franziska let out an audible sigh and glanced briefly in Maya's direction, "I understand that there's a great deal of trust between you and Phoenix Wright, is there not?"

Maya nodded, "Mhm. Everything would be _pretty_ difficult if we didn't trust each other."

"Then I suppose I must be completely honest with you as well. I have my apprehensions about whether or not this will actually work…" Franziska shook her head, "It seems like a longshot."

"It's not...an ideal situation." Maya admitted, "But it's the only option we have left. It has to work."

"I don't normally ask for this, but in this case I must make an exception. I'll need your help, or else this _will_ fail. My abilities, however impressive and incredible they may be, will not be enough on their own this time around." Franziska said, her voice lower and quieter than usual. Her discomfort at disclosing such a thing was obvious.

Maya knew better than to tease Franziska about something like that, so she just nodded and forced a grin, "Don't worry. I'll teach you everything I know about being a defense attorney! In fact, I bet you'll be better than Nick himself!"

Franziska grinned in amusement at that, perking up a bit and letting out a content hum, "Please.. As if there was any doubt!"


	4. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 2

The Detention Center wasn't a place Franziska visited often, if at all. Her only concern was putting people in it, not meeting with those inside. She could only think of a few times she had been inside, and those were for some very, _very_ special exceptions. Already the weight of her decision to take up the defense was showing itself to her, and just in the first few hours of her new position has she had to undergo some radical changes.

She sat with Maya in front of the glass, crossing her arms and legs as they waited for the guard to let the defendant into the visitor's area. Franziska was immediately alarmed at who walked out; the defendant was maybe only 18 years old. That wasn't who she expected when she skimmed the file when she first thought she would be taking over as the case's prosecutor.

Daniel Tanner sat down in the chair on the other side of the glass, admittedly looking a bit confused, "Uh… who are you guys?"

"I'm Maya! And this lady who looks to be straight out of the Renaissance is Franziska." Maya said cheerfully, "We're your defense team!"

"Defense team?" Daniel shook his head, "Thanks, but I already got a lawyer. His name is-"

"Phoenix Wright." Franziska cut in, "We know. We're... _colleagues_ of his. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, he can no longer take this case."

"Oh… You're here to break the news, aren't you?" Daniel let out a saddened sigh, hanging his head, "I understand. Things aren't looking too good for me anyways… Losses don't look good for any lawyer."

Maya pouted, "Hey! Don't act so glum! We just said Nick couldn't take this case. That doesn't mean we won't!" She leaned in closer to the glass and cupped her mouth with a hand like she was telling a secret, "Besides, the only reason Nick wins anyway is because I'm always there. Trust me, you're in good hands."

Daniel looked confused again, but he wasn't complaining, "Alright. Thanks."

Franziska let out a sharp breath, "We don't have much time. We need to figure out everything there is to know about this case. Leave nothing out."

Daniel nodded, "Just ask me what you need to know. I'll answer as best as I can."

"What was your relationship with the deceased?" Franziska asked.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, ma'am, but Ireland Boyd was a horrible person. He was a routine alcoholic and he always beat his wife and kids. I'm neighbors with him. I live right across the street from him and his wife in the outskirts of the city." Daniel said flatly.

"Ew. This guy sounds gross." Maya commented, "Lemme try asking something Nick always does. What were you doing the night of the murder?"

"I can't lie there either. I saw him that night. He was hellbent on taking his wife and kids to a bar. I saw and heard them arguing about it outside so I went and jumped in. I offered to drive Mary Kay and the kids down there so that they wouldn't be in the car with him while Boyd was drunk. The kids got turned away at the door, so Mary Kay took them home in Boyd's car. That left me and Boyd at the bar. We stayed there for a long time, and he was pounding drinks back like nobody's business. It got to be 1am, and he was getting really rowdy, so I took him home in my truck. When I pulled into his driveway, he started swearing at me. I wasn't having it, so I dumped him on his lawn and I went back home. I went to bed. I didn't do anything since, I swear." Daniel explained.

Franziska tapped her chin. There weren't any 'Psychic Locks' appearing, so she assumed everything he said was the truth. However, she couldn't leave any holes, "Can anyone corroborate that?"

"Mary Kay Boyd can for the first part of that." Daniel said, "My girlfriend also dropped in for a surprise visit that night so she can vouch that I never left after I first came home."

"A girlfriend?" Maya hummed, "Ooo, who is she?"

"Dawn Jennings, but…" Daniel looked off to the side, "She skipped town after my arrest. I don't know where she is."

Franziska closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Perfect. The only person on their side is missing. When she reopened her eyes and looked at Daniel, something strange happened to her vision. Her vision doubled, and then the colors inverted. Grey chains encircled Daniel and then an extravagant red lock appeared where the chains intersected. Franziska felt her lips part in shock and her eyes shoot wide, but she couldn't bring herself to school her expression. She had never seen anything like this.

Confused at the uncharacteristic silence from Franziska, Maya glanced over at her, seeing how Franziska was just staring at Daniel, baffled. Maya had a feeling she knew what was going on, so before Daniel could get suspicious, she moved on, "Where did the murder happen?"

"The detectives said Gourd Lake." Daniel said, "I promise I didn't go there, though. I hate that place."

"We believe you." Maya said firmly, "We'll do our best to help you out. Isn't that right, Franziska?" Maya looked over towards the other woman, nudging her in the side to snap Franziska out of it.

Franziska blinked a few times, causing the chains to vanish. She let out a sigh and nodded, "Yes. We shall. We'll come back later today once we finish our investigation, but for now we'll be off." Franziska stood, pushing out her chair and looking at Maya to join her.

"W-Wait!" Daniel shouted, leaping out of his chair, "One last thing!"

"What is it?" Franziska crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto one leg as she waited.

"I… I didn't kill Ireland Boyd, but I am a killer." Daniel said, defeated, "I told Mr. Wright this before, but I have to tell you too. I know the prosecution will use it against me."

"Who was it?!" Maya placed her hands on the little ledge coming out of the wall in front of her, leaning towards Daniel, "Who did you kill before?"

Daniel hung his head, ashamed, "...My brother. It was an accident, but I did kill him. I only meant to warn him when I picked up that gun 6 years ago, but… I accidentally shot him. I never wanted to hurt him. I just wanted him to stop picking on me…"

Maya frowned, "I'm so sorry… That sounds horrible…"

"There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret it. I was a dumb kid. I was only twelve when I shot him. I learned my lesson. They even paroled me after serving three years because of good behavior! I was supposed to be in that horrible place for ten years!" Daniel looked like he was fighting off tears, "I'm grown now! I know better than to try and use violence to solve problems! I never would do anything to risk going back to prison! I promise, ma'ams!"

Maya clenched her fists, looking as determined as ever, "Then it's settled! There's only one thing we can do, and it's that we have to prove you innocent! Don't worry, mister. We won't let you go back to jail on our watch!"

Daniel was fully crying at that point, covering his eyes with his hand and letting out choked sobs, "Thank you.."

"Come on, Franzy. We gotta help this guy." Maya said, turning to leave.

Franziska spared one last look back at Daniel before following Maya out of the visiting area. Once out of earshot, Maya looked over at Franziska, a little downtrodden.

"You saw Psyche-Locks, didn't you?" Maya sighed, staring at the ground.

"I'm assuming so. There definitely was a lock involved." Franziska clenched her jaw, "He knows where Dawn Jennings is. He's hiding her from us...but I cannot fathom why. She's the only one who can confirm he's innocent. Why keep her away?"

Maya shrugged, "Who knows. I just can't believe he'd lie to us."

"It seems as if our only option is to prove that he's lying. Maybe then he will be completely honest." Franziska pinched the bridge of her nose, "He certainly was honest in confessing to murdering his brother. That is going to prove to be a major inconvenience in this trial."

"I feel so bad for him… Don't you, Franzy?"

"It's Franziska. And not particularly." She said flatly, "I already stated that this is going to be a problem for us."

"Wow, icy much?" Maya glared at Franziska, "Do you have to be so difficult with this case? We could really go without the constant negativity."

Franziska rolled her eyes, "This situation isn't ideal in any way at all. I'm not going to pretend like I'm enjoying myself."

"Well...you should!" Maya pouted, crossing her arms, "It'll make you more likable.."

"I care not whether or not I'm likable. I'm here to win. That's all." Franziska said flatly, "Stop dallying. We have work to do. I don't suppose you'd like it if I lost the case due to you distracting me by trying to argue with me the entire time, would you?"

Maya puffed out her cheeks and let out a prissy "hmph!" before making her way to Gourd Lake alongside Franziska. She didn't say a word the entire way there.

* * *

Luckily the crime scene was still well put together when Franziska and Maya arrived at Gourd Lake later that day. It was only a day after the crime after all, so it wasn't taken down yet. Maya particularly seemed on edge when they had arrived at the lake entrance.

"Eesh…" She muttered beneath her breath, "I haven't been here since that incident on Christmas two years ago. This place doesn't feel the same anymore."

Franziska turned towards Maya with an eyebrow raised. Maya realized she was being pretty vague so she explained more, "That murder Miles was accused of happened here. You know… the one that ended up uncovering the secret behind the DL-6 Incident?"

"Ah, yes…" Franziska clenched her hands into fists, causing the leather of her gloves to make a loud noise, "The one that sentenced Papa to death. I can see how this place is unnerving now.."

"Er…sorry to bring it up." Maya fumbled with a strand of her hair. She felt compelled to apologize for bringing up Manfred, "It's a sore topic for everyone."

Franziska didn't reply to that, she just let out a noncommitted 'hmph' and kept walking. She spotted a rather figure standing off in the distance, and she didn't need to see their face to know who it was. Franziska flashed a wry smile and lifted her chin slightly, "I should've expected Scruffy to be here. It's not like there are any other detectives in this blasted city."

"Gumshoe's here?!" Maya perked up, and instantly she sped up her pace, practically running over to the crime scene, "Gumshooooooooe!"

Gumshoe heard his name and turned around towards the source, and he grinned widely upon seeing it was Maya running towards him, "Hey pal! Jumping right into another case, huh?"

Maya came to a halt before she could topple right into Gumshoe, and she enthusiastically nodded her head, "You got it! We got jobs to do, after all!"

"That we do, pal!" Gumshoe glanced around after a second, "So, where's Nick?"

Letting out a nervous laugh, Maya scratched her cheek, "About that…"

"I do hope you're not slacking off, Scruffy." Franziska placed a hand on her hip once she finally caught up to Maya, "We need information for this case."

Gumshoe visibly swallowed, a new wave of uneasiness coming over him, "B-But sir…" He stammered, "I coulda sworn that Edgeworth was prosecuting this one…"

"And he is." Franziska said, "I wasn't asking for information on behalf of the prosecution's office, however." She lowered her chin, staring up at Gumshoe with narrowed eyes.

"..." Gumshoe's shoulders sank as he glanced over towards Maya, "...I'm lost, pal."

Maya still had a bit of a nervous grin on her face, "Aren't we all, buddy?" She joked initially, but she was quick to actually explain, "Remember the last case at the Temple where Miles took over for Nick? Yeah… Something like that's happened again…"

"WHAAAT?!" Gumshoe's jaw nearly dropped, "Did Nick fall off another fiery bridge or somethin'?!"

"No." Franziska answered simply, "But I cannot say for certain which reason for his absence is more foolish…"

"It's a long story. It's best to not ask questions and to just roll with it." Maya's voice dropped into a whisper and she pointed at Franziska subtly, "Especially around this one."

Gumshoe nodded his head, "Yeah, I gotcha, pal."

Franziska tilted her head, eyebrows creased out of impatience, "Well? I thought I asked you for information about this case!"

"Y-Yes sir! Sorry, sir!" Gumshoe was sweating bullets at that point, "I hate to break it to ya', but… I wasn't the responding detective on this one, sir.. I can tell you some things, but not a whole lot. You'd have to ask Detective Rice, but I'm not sure that he'd help the defense out like I would…"

Gritting her teeth, Franziska's hand went to her side and then she slashed through the air. Gumshoe instinctively flinched out of experience, but he was pleasantly surprised when he didn't feel anything. Maya stifled a laugh.

"You don't have your whip, remember, Franzy?" Maya giggled.

Franziska looked at her hand, and she was distraught to find it empty. She instantly grimaced and crossed her arms, glancing off to the side with a huff.

"S-She doesn't have her whip?!" Gumshoe shouted with a mix of surprise and relief. He then let out a sigh and flashed a happy grin, "Whew…"

"S-Shut up!" Franziska spat with an uncharacteristic stumble, "Just… Just tell me the basics behind the case, Scruffy! Don't make me ask again!"

"Yes sir!" Gumshoe said, this time a lot less afraid, "The victim is Ireland Boyd, and he's the drunkard around these parts. Everyone hates him. When Detective Rice got to the scene, he found Boyd lying on the embankment, bludgeoned to death."

"And the autopsy report?" Maya jumped in.

"Yeah, we got one." Gumshoe said, "I'll see what I can do to get you guys a copy."

"That'd be great!" Maya grinned happily, "Anything else?"

"I, uh…" Gumshoe rubbed his chin, "That's all I got. You'd have to ask Detective Rice for more."

"Hmm…" Franziska growled, her hand clenching at her sleeve, "And where can I find this Detective Rice?"

"Probably at the precinct, sir." Gumshoe said, "I'm just here to wrap some things up. There's nothing more left to do here, really."

"I'll see about that for myself. Let us hurry, Maya Fey. We don't have too much time." Franziska started off for the crime scene, not even giving a goodbye or waiting for Maya to join her.

Maya scratched her cheek again, "Sorry about her, buddy. I don't think she's really liking this whole thing. Thanks a bunch for everything though!" Maya plastered on a wide grin as a goodbye before jogging to reach Franziska's side.

Working alongside someone so different was a strange experience for the both of them. Normally Maya had somewhat of a clue what was going on in Nick's head, but with Franziska, she had no clue, except for maybe whips as a wild guess. So, she pursed her lips and threw all caution to the wind in a search for answers, "So, Franzy… What do you think about this case so far?"

"It's Franziska." She retorted instantly, "And for starters, I don't trust this new detective already. I don't recall anyone with the name Rice from my time working alongside police. I'll have to look into him before we go much further."

Maya nodded slowly, "Don't trust this Rice guy.. Got it. Anything else?"

"I cannot say much else yet." Franziska said with a hint of bite to her voice, "I hate feeling this left in the dark. Is this what you defense attorneys feel all the time?"

"Well…" Maya thought it over for a moment before shrugging, "Yeah, pretty much."

"I don't know how Phoenix Wright can do this." Franziska shook her head with a sigh, "The stress is crippling. This cannot be good for one's health."

"It's really not…" Maya agreed, and she spotted the yellow tape of the crime scene, "Well… here we are."

Behind the tape was a cliff and then a slight decline until the dirt met with the waters of the lake. Everything was muddy, which made walking a bit difficult for Franziska with her heels. She also despised the idea of dirt on her heels, so she was being apprehensive with her every step.

"So it seems…" Franziska said lowly under her breath.

Maya looked Franziska over once and pursed her lips, "...I'll do the investigating. You can just stay here."

Franziska just nodded. That was as close as a 'thank you' Maya was going to get from her. Maya inched down the decline until she was close to water, and she looked at the other side of the muddy cliff. There was a huge hole in the dirt, probably where the body was dug out of.

"Yeah, this is definitely the crime scene!" Maya shouted from below.

"What do you see?!" Franziska shouted back.

"Well, a huge hole, for starters. It's probably where the body was." Maya leaned closer, inspecting the ground, "Yup, the body was here. I can see some blood."

"Is there anything irregular about the crime scene at all?"

Maya stuck her tongue out in concentration. She had to think, "Let's see… Water has started to fill in the hole where the body once was. I think the body had to have been submerged a bit. Does that seem important to you?"

"Actually, yes!" Franziska sounded shocked. Maya didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted, "Anything else?"

"...No, sorry." Maya's shoulders sank and she sighed, "I'm coming back up!" Looking around to try and find the easiest path back up, something strange caught her eye. Furrowing her brow, she looked down at the ground to spot some footprints- ones she was certain didn't belong to her, "Wait, hold on!"

Maya followed the trail near the water for a few feet, and she saw a heap of dirt that looked like it didn't belong, "Franzy! I think I got something!"

"What is it?" Franziska shouted back, forgetting to mention the nickname thing again, "Wait- where are you?"

"I'm a bit off to your left, I think! Just follow the sound of my voice!" Maya waved her arms.

Franziska moved closer to the edge of the small cliff, looking down to spot Maya about four feet below, "What did you find?"

"This suspicious heap of dirt in the middle of grass! I think something's buried under here!" Maya kneeled down in front of it and reached out for it before remembering something, "Hey! Can I borrow your gloves?"

Franziska recoiled slightly, placing a hand over her chest, "...You're not considering using them to dig through the _dirt,_ are you?"

Maya just nodded, "Yeah, I am! Now, do you want me possibly contaminating evidence with my fingerprints or not?"

There was silence for a moment before Franziska grumbled something presumably unpleasant in German as she took off her gloves and threw them down at Maya. Maya wasn't expecting Franziska to throw them so hard or so soon, so she ended up getting hit directly in her face with the gloves.

"Ow… Jeez!" Maya muttered, peeling the gloves off her face and putting them on. She pushed some of the dirt aside, touching it as little as possible out of respect for Franziska, and she kept brushing it away to try and unearth something. Finally she felt her hand hit something, and carefully she pulled out two halves of a broken tree branch, both roughly an inch in diameter. She stood up, looking down at the branches in her hands, and carefully she brushed away some of the dirt still clinging to the branch when she unmistakably spotted it, "...Blood."

Franziska grit her teeth and tangled her hands in her hair, throwing her head back, "Can't anyone on the police force in this foolish country do their blasted jobs right?!"

A bead of sweat trickled down Maya's forehead, "...Yeah. You'd have to be real stupid to miss this."

Composing herself, Franziska shook her head and let out a sharp breath, "The cause of death was blunt force trauma. I say we found our murder weapon." There was a hint of a grin on her lips, "And as a price to pay for the detectives' foolishness, let's hold onto this for ourselves, hmm?"

Maya shot Franziska a smirk back, "I like the way you think, Franzy. Give me a second to get back up there!" Maya circled around and climbed up onto the same level as Franziska.

"I say our work here is done." Franziska said, "Let's go."

"Say…" Maya looked down at the branches in her hands and back at Franziska, "Could I use your vest to wrap these up in? I don't wanna hold bloody sticks all the way to the precinct…"

Franziska's eyebrows furrowed, "Why does it always have to be _my_ clothes that get ruined for the evidence?"

"Because you have the most expendable layers out of the two of us!"

"They are _not_ expendable! The ensemble isn't the same even with one piece missing! Besides, I can guarantee you these clothes cost more than you make in a year!"

"I don't even make any money, so ha!" Maya stuck out her tongue, "Now give me your vest!"

Franziska growled, but she did as she was told and took off her vest and shoved it towards Maya. Maya put the two branches inside as well as the dirtied gloves and rolled it up tightly. She held on to her work proudly and shot Franziska a grin. Franziska just crossed her arms and frowned.

"Now I just look foolish…" Franziska muttered under her breath.

Maya slapped Franziska on the back, "You look fine, Franzy! Don't sweat it!"

"It's Franziska!" She shot back, voice going up a few octaves, "And what did I tell you about touching me?!"

"...Not to do it." Maya frowned, "Sorry. Heat of the moment."

"Hmph… I'm going before I end up having to sacrifice any more clothing for this investigation.." Franziska huffed as she stormed off.

Maya just hung her head before chasing after Franziska, "Oh, come on, Franziska! I promise I'll use my stuff next time! Please don't leave me here! ...Oh man. There's no way I'm gonna convince her to pick up the tab for dinner now…"


	5. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 3

The two of them arrived at the precinct not much later after they left Gourd Lake, and one of the first people they saw upon stepping inside was Gumshoe, leaning over his desk with his head in his hands. Franziska didn't know if she wanted to ask.

"Scruffy!" She called, stopping at the side of his desk, "Do tell me that you got the autopsy report as promised."

"Sir!" Gumshoe shot out of his seat and threw his hand up in a salute, "That I did!" He passed the file over, but in doing so he noticed something different about Franziska, "...Weren't you dressed a bit differently earlier? What happened?"

"Mud and betrayal." Franziska muttered, shooting Maya a glare out of the corner of her eye, "That's what."

Maya just shrugged uneasily as Gumshoe looked back and forth between the two of them, "Well, uh… Huh…" He said in a grumble.

" _Anyways,_ " Franziska cut in, crossing her arms, "where is this Detective Rice?"

"He's over at his desk, sir." Gumshoe pointed towards one of the desks in the corner, "Have at him."

Glancing over towards where Gumshoe pointed, Franziska looked the other detective over. He had short blond hair and a light stubble for a mustache and beard. He also looked to be in violation of the dress code with only a t-shirt and jeans. Franziska hated him instantly.

Maya looked at Rice then back to Franziska, confused as to why she wasn't moving, "...Earth to Franziska?"

"Hmm?" Franziska seemed to be jolted out of her inner dialogue, "Oh, pardon me. I was drafting the argument to use in this detective's salary hearing I will request once this case ends. This is inexcusable."

"Typical Franziska…" Maya laughed nervously, eventually just moving towards Detective Rice on her own without Franziska. "Hey, Detective Rice!"

Rice looked up from his paperwork and looked around for the voice calling for him, growing a bit confused once he spotted Maya, "How can I help you…?"

"Hi! I'm on the defense team for Daniel Tanner!" Maya greeted with a smile, "I was hoping you could give me and my colleague some information about the case."

"...You're a defense attorney?" Rice asked incredulously with a grin on his face, "Wow, I didn't know they started licensing kids in my absence."

Maya scrunched her nose and jabbed her finger into Rice's chest angrily, "Hey, Mister! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Franziska had joined Maya's side at this point, and Rice focused on Franziska instead, "Are you with this girl? For the sake of the criminal justice system, do not mix children in with your work. I thought the system was better than hiring kids."

"It has come to my attention recently that me and this 'kid' you are referring to are the same age." Franziska flashed Phoenix's attorney badge to Rice, "So by all means, do tell me about the deterioration of the justice system. I do love it so when men talk down on me because of my age."

Rice shifted uncomfortably and clenched his jaw, "What do you want?"

"I want to know exactly what happened on the day of the crime. And do know that I don't take lightly to people withholding the truth from me." Franziska growled. Maya proudly crossed her arms as she looked back at Rice.

"A couple fishing early in the morning called the police after noticing a body by the lake. I was in the vicinity when I received a dispatch call. I arrived at the crime scene at around 5:45 and I asked the couple a few questions. They looked pretty shaken up, so I sent them home. I called for a forensics team and backup afterwards, and they arrived some time later. I identified the deceased quickly as Ireland Boyd because I had run into him a few times before. I went to break the news to his wife first, and then I investigated where Boyd was seen last. Due to the evidence I had, I arrested Daniel Tanner for the crime." Rice crossed his arms and shrugged, "I'm confident in my decision in arresting him. He did it. I'm also confident that my impeccable work in this case will help make me in my campaign when I run for sheriff."

Maya grinned to herself and nodded, " _Impeccable_ work… Sure. Well, thanks, Detective! I think we have everything we need."

"I got my eyes on you kids. I don't appreciate a couple of schoolchildren turning a courtroom into a playground. This is adult territory. You don't belong." Rice sneered.

Franziska rolled her eyes, "We'll see who's the childish one when we face each other in court. Don't expect me to have mercy on you just because you're my elder. I don't respect _anyone_ who insults me, elder or not."

Rice narrowed his eyes in return, and Gumshoe, having picked up on the aggressions, suddenly butted in and threw his arm around Rice's shoulder.

"Everything good around here, pal?" Gumshoe asked with a nervous grin as he subtly turned Rice away from Maya and Franziska, "How's the paperwork going?"

Franziska glanced back at the path to the records room and then back at Rice. For a moment, they were completely out of his line of sight as he was dealing with Gumshoe. In a split-second decision, Franziska grabbed Maya's wrist and pulled her along.

"Move quietly but quickly." Franziska ordered in a hushed whisper.

Maya did as told- more like she let Franziska drag her off -but that didn't mean she wasn't confused, "What are you doing?"

" _Accidentally_ stumbling into the records room while going on a childish frolic through the precinct, that's what." Franziska grinned a bit, "Or, that's what we'll say when we're asked."

Maya felt like she was catching on, but still was a bit lost, "Are you upset because of what Rice said earlier? I mean, I don't know about you, but it didn't bother me _too_ much-"

"Of course I'm bothered by it! But I'm using it to my advantage as an excuse for what we're about to do here now.." Franziska opened the door to the records room when the coast was clear, pulling Maya inside and quickly shutting the door behind them. She looked back at Maya, "I need to find Detective Rice's file. He's too suspicious for my tastes, and this could play out in our favor at the trial."

Maya nodded and snickered, "Oh, I see… Smart."

"Well, that's obvious. I'm the one who came up with the idea." Franziska quipped before walking off in search of the file.

In a few minutes, Maya managed to find Detective Rice's file and she chased Franziska down to give it to her, "Look, I got it! There's a lot of stuff in here… That's got to be good, right?"

"For once, a long rap sheet for a detective is a godsend for me." Franziska joked, taking the file and sitting on the ground. She passed some papers to Maya for her to look over, "Tell me anything that may possibly be incriminating. I can blow even the smallest detail out of proportion in the trial tomorrow, so there's no need to worry about telling me about something too small."

"Got it!" Maya nodded, reading over some of the files. Franziska did as well, and so they sat in silence for a moment. Before long, Franziska suddenly let out a low, throaty chuckle. Maya looked up from the papers and tilted her head.

"What did you find?" She asked.

"Daniel Tanner's ticket to freedom." Franziska was smirking at that point when she handed Maya the file in question, "Detective Rice has not one, but _three_ charges of evidence tampering on his jacket." She sighed despite herself, "The only other detective in this city is a corrupt one. He's making even Scruffy look competent."

"Hey! Gumshoe's competent!" Maya countered, though she was quick to focus back on the task at hand, "Wait… It also says that he was censored the last time he tampered with evidence… Could that have been the 'absence' he was referring to?"

"I assume so." Franziska grinned once more, "He also says he wants to be sheriff someday. Closing a lot of cases quickly and easily is a trait many look for in electing sheriff… It looks as if Detective Rice is trying to falsify his way up the ranks." She laughed lowly and glanced off to the side, "He will not survive my cross tomorrow, that I can guarantee."

"Aw, man…" Maya was grinning widely and bubbling with excitement, "We've never been so prepared for a trial before… It feels good!"

"...The more you speak of Phoenix Wright's incompetence, the more I despise myself for losing to him as often as I did." Franziska muttered.

Maya winced, "Sorry…"

"However…" Franziska recovered quickly enough, "It _does_ feel good to know I can do his job better than he can. I'll accept that."

Maya flashed a smile and started gathering up the papers to put back in the file, "So… What next?"

"Well, I'd like to visit Ireland Boyd's wife and then head back to the Detention Center to see if I can get Daniel Tanner to open up about Dawn Jennings…" Franziska stood and placed a hand on her hip, "So we have no time to waste if we wish to make it before the Detention Center ends visiting hours."

"Got it. Let's go then!" Maya perked up, ready to just stroll on out of the records room before she remembered, "...How do you suggest we sneak out of here unnoticed?"

Franziska paused, musing it over in her head. Eventually she just pursed her lips and gave up, "...Just run. Go!"

* * *

"So… Is this Mrs. Boyd's house?" Maya asked, glancing around once Franziska and her arrived in the neighborhood.

"Assuming that the police records didn't lie, it's safe to say this is it." Franziska responded, crossing her arms, "I want her take on the situation before I go any further. I have a feeling she could give valuable information regarding how her spouse and Daniel Tanner got along."

"Maybe she'll be nice and treat us to some welcoming food when we go in…" Maya frowned and placed a hand on her growling stomach.

Just when Franziska was about to brush that comment off and go to Mrs. Boyd's front door, a sudden voice from behind them called out, stopping the duo to stop in their tracks.

"Excuse me, ladies!" The voice said- it was a boyish voice, but still moderately developed. Franziska could place it as mid- to late teens just off the voice alone before she turned around to see a young man by his truck, "Are you looking for Mrs. Boyd?"

"Yessir!" Maya said back.

"I'm sorry, but she's out right now. She's been gone for most of the day." The teenager replied, "Are you two the police or something?"

"We're actually lawyers. We're defending Daniel Tanner in his case tomorrow." Maya explained.

The young man smiled a bit- which only made him look younger; Franziska was betting on 17 years at this point -and he looked both ways before crossing the street to approach the two ladies, "It's good to hear he's got a good team on his side. I know he's innocent. Everyone just needs to believe that."

Franziska looked the man over once more, "Just who are you, anyways?"

"I'm Glenn Warner. I work as Danny's apprentice." Glenn said, still with a smile on his face, "He's also a close friend. I owe him a lot."

"Apprentice?" Maya perked up, "Ooo, apprentice for what?"

"Danny's car repair business!" Glenn grinned widely, closing his eyes and running a hand through his ginger hair.

Franziska furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief, "Eighteen is a little young for someone to own their own business, wouldn't you say?"

"Says the girl who became a prosecutor at age 13…" Maya muttered quiet enough for only Franziska to hear. Franziska just stepped on Maya's foot with her heel.

"Yeah, but isn't it incredible?!" Glenn didn't falter in the slightest at that comment, "Once everyone found out about Danny's past, no one would hire him. So he went out and made his own business! I was in a bit of a rough patch for a while with my dad passing away and my mom unemployed, so I needed work and dropped out of school. Danny was kind enough to take me under his wing as his apprentice! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

Maya's eyes were watering slightly at that, but a single sniff caused any traces of it to vanish, "There's no way Danny could murder Mr. Boyd if that's true…!"

Franziska just let out a noncommitted scoff. Glenn quickly spoke up again, "Yeah! I know he didn't do it! In fact, I was thinking about going to the police, because I can prove it too!"

Suddenly Franziska was a lot more interested in what Glenn had to say, "Then you must tell us what you know!"

Glenn nodded, "Right! Well, the night of the murder, I was staying up later than I was supposed to because I was trying to read up on car manuals so I could be of more help to Danny… and then I could hear Ireland yelling outside. I looked out my window to see what was going on, and some strange truck was pulling into Ireland's driveway. I never seen it before, and I couldn't recognize the voice that told Ireland to hop into the back of the truck. Once Ireland was inside, they were off, and Ireland never came back. That all happened around...Oh, 1:50 in the morning, maybe?"

Franziska looked over at Maya, who was looking back at Franziska with the same shocked expression on her face. Then Franziska focused back on Glenn with a fiercely determined look over her features, "You _must_ testify to this in court tomorrow. This may be the only way your friend sees the light of day again." Franziska's voice then dropped down to a whisper, one both Glenn and Maya thought they'd miss if they weren't already captured by her determination, "... _Please._ "

Glenn nodded vigorously and threw a hand up to his head in a salute, "Yes, ma'am! I'll do it!"

For once, Franziska actually smiled genuinely for a moment, "Thank you. This will be of great help to the defense's case tomorrow."

"You're a lifesaver, Glenn!" Maya cheered, grinning widely.

"I'm glad I could help!" Glenn said proudly.

"Good. Then I think we'll be on our way." Franziska said, "We won't be needing anything from Mrs. Boyd when we have this information on our side."

Maya pursed her lips for a moment before she stopped Franziska, "Wait! I still have something I need to ask." She looked back at Glenn, and she grinned a bit mischievously, "So, Glenn… What do you know about Danny's _girlfriend?_ "

Franziska's eyes flashed wide for a second; she had forgotten about that completely, as embarrassing as that may be to say.

Glenn just tilted his head and scratched the back of his neck, "I've met her a few times. She's real nice. It's hard to believe she's an ex-con too."

"Dawn Jennings is a convict as well?" Franziska asked, an eyebrow arching in surprise.

Glenn nodded, "Yeah. That's actually how she met Danny. They met through a rehabilitation program for ex-cons at the local church." Glenn scrunched his nose in thought, "I'm pretty sure she has a few theft charges on her. I have no idea why, because her family is filthy rich. She can get whatever she wants from them, and with that face of hers, it's not like she needs to steal stuff to get it for free."

"Huh…" Maya shrugged, "Alright then. Thanks again!"

"It's no problem!" Glenn smiled, "I'm just happy I can help Danny out after all this time."

"Speaking of which…" Franziska looked back towards Maya, "We should visit Daniel Tanner now. He should know about the progress we've made."

Maya nodded, "Let's go then!"

"Good luck, ladies! I'll see you tomorrow!" Glenn waved the two off in a goodbye.

* * *

Before long after arriving at the Detention Center, Daniel Tanner was let in by the guard to the visitor's area and he took a seat on the other side of the glass. He looked a lot more hopeful than he did earlier in the morning. That was a good sign.

"So?" Daniel looked between the two girls with a hint of a smile on his lips, "How did the investigation go?"

"Good!" Maya smiled brightly, "Like, really good!"

"I can't thank you guys enough." Daniel said, "I would be already be on death's row without your help."

"You should thank your apprentice Glenn!" Maya said, "His testimony is gonna help us out a bunch. But, you know. The two of us need our thanks too." Maya looked to Franziska, "She's gonna kick butt tomorrow in court." She looked back to Daniel and cupped her mouth, "And I totally found amazing evidence. It's a real team effort here."

"So you're gonna be the main lawyer tomorrow, Ms. Franziska?" Daniel asked, "If it's half as good as how Maya is hyping it up to be, I'm sure you'll do great."

Franziska just let out a sigh and closed her eyes. She set her hand on the small slab of concrete that came out of the wall in front of her. On closer inspection, Maya could see a faint green glow slipping through Franziska's fingers. Maya's gaze drifted to the ground. It was business as always with her, it seems…

"I do have a lot playing in my favor at the moment, but I'm still not satisfied, especially with the information I've received from you." Franziska said flatly, eyes still closed. Tact was one thing a von Karma didn't seem to possess.

Daniel's expression flashed concern and hurt for a moment, but he recovered quickly enough, "Okay, that's my bad. What do you need cleared up?"

Franziska opened her eyes and stared right into Daniel's own. Daniel felt pushed into the back of his chair from the force behind her glare alone. "The location of Dawn Jennings, of course." She said in a low voice, "Where is she?"

Daniel swallowed noticeably, "I-I already told you, Ms. Franziska… I don't know where she is!"

"Don't lie to me." Franziska sneered. The colors of her vision inverted again and chains wrapped around Daniel, a lock forming in front of him. "Tell me where she is!"

"Why do you think I'm lying?!" Daniel shot back, with what it lacked in conviction it made up for in sheer panic.

"Because," Franziska began, speaking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You have to protect her."

"She doesn't need my protection. A girl like her can handle herself!"

"I'm sure she can. In fact, I think she was the one who asked you to keep quiet."

"H-How can you say that?" Daniel recoiled, sweat beading at his forehead.

Franziska shrugged easily. The force behind her tone was replaced by passive indifference, "She's an ex-convict, like you are. I'm sure her parents aren't quite happy about that."

Maya scrunched her nose, "Yeah? What's that got to do with anything?"

Franziska turned towards Maya, "Think about it, Maya Fey. If your child committed a crime, what would you do?"

"I would punish them, of course!" Maya pushed her sleeve up, like she was flaunting her power, "Make sure they learned their lesson!"

"Exactly." Franziska looked over at Daniel, "That's why she was in the rehabilitation program with you. I'm also certain her parents limited how much money she got from them as well as punishment."

Daniel swallowed and looked at the ground. Franziska just took it as permission to continue, "If Dawn Jennings were to get involved with trouble again, she would lose all of her family's support. A murder case is certainly trouble. I do not believe her parents would enjoy learning of their daughter's involvement in a murder case. That's why she fled. That's also why you're covering for her."

Daniel let out a sigh and placed his elbows on the small ledge in front of him, resting his head in his hands. Franziska's reality froze for a moment, and the lock on the chains surrounding Daniel shattered, the chains receding soon after. Her lips quirked slightly in victory, but she schooled her features quickly enough. Daniel looked on the verge of admitting the truth.

"You're right…" He muttered, ashamed, "I'm sorry. I didn't want her to get in trouble because of me…"

"Tell us where she is, Daniel." Maya said, her voice soft, "We have to help you."

Franziska hesitated, but eventually she joined in, "I can make it so that word of her involvement doesn't spread, even if I do get testimony from her. I just need to know where she is."

"...Becksdale." Daniel admitted, "It's a city over. What are you gonna do, Ms. Franziska?"

"I was already going to put in a request for closed proceedings, but I'll contact the Becksdale police department so they can question her and send me a deposition of her account of events. It's written, so she won't visibly be tied to the case." Franziska explained.

"Thank you…" Daniel said quietly, "I'm really sorry…"

"I suppose it can't be helped." Franziska sighed, "But do not hide anything else from us in the future. We cannot help you if you don't cooperate."

"I understand. No more lies. Just truth." Daniel nodded.

Maya stood up, looking between Franziska and Daniel, "I think we're done?"

Franziska nodded, "Yes. We'll see you tomorrow for the proceedings, Daniel Tanner. There's a lot still left to be done if we aim for an acquittal."

Daniel nodded, "Alright. Good night, ma'ams. And good luck."

Maya and Franziska exited from the visitor's area and the Detention Center. Once they were outside, Maya looked towards Franziska, a bit of a pleading look on her face.

"Is it time for dinner yet, Franziska?" Maya asked with a nervous grin, the ominous sound of her stomach growling after her words.

"You can go have dinner." Franziska simply replied, brushing some hair out of her face, "I have paperwork to get to."

"You… don't want to come along?" Maya's nervousness turned more towards panic, "But… you need to eat! Preferably with me right now!"

Franziska's eyebrows quirked in suspicion, "And I shall...just not at this moment. Why can't you go yourself?"

Maya just forced a grin and uneasily pressed her fingers together, "Well, you see… I kind of don't have any money, so…"

Franziska's expression fell completely blank, before she let out an annoyed groan and pulled out some money, shoving it towards Maya, "There. Now leave me to work in peace. I'll be back at Phoenix Wright's office. Don't even think about going coming back just to ask me for more money."

Maya looked down at the dollar bills in her hand. Did Franziska not understand the value of American currency? She just handed Maya at least 200 dollars. Maya would not point that fact out, however. "...Y-Yes, ma'am! Thank you so much!" And off she went.

Franziska let out a defeated sigh once she was alone. The entire day had been a hassle for her, and she was completely exhausted at that point. There was work to be done, however. That she could not put off.

She arrived at the Wright & Co. Law Offices some time later, and immediately she kicked off her heels and pulled out her cravat. She sat down at Phoenix's desk and let out a loud sigh before buckling down to her work. Franziska had to admit, it felt strange to be filing motions for the defense. She knew what to do, of course, but she never pictured the day where she'd have to do it. The entire situation was strange to her. She wanted to say she hated it, but she really couldn't either.

Sometime down the road, Franziska couldn't remember when she shifted from her work to her thoughts, and she certainly didn't know when she drifted off into sleep, either.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of her name and a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and immediately pain shot up in her neck and back. Franziska grimaced when she peeled herself from off the desk and sat up, and eventually she managed to register that Maya was at her side.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." Maya teased, obviously reveling in this new opportunity, "I didn't think a von Karma would be prone to sleeping on the job."

Franziska just growled, wincing at the light in the room. There wasn't much, but it was enough to blind her. She also felt hounded by the smell of something strikingly artificial, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was, "What time is it…?" She muttered weakly.

"Midnight." Maya said simply, "I just got back."

" _Midnight?_ " Franziska repeated incredulously, shooting Maya a dirty look, "I parted ways with you at _seven_ at the absolute latest. What have you been doing all this time?"

Maya frowned, "None of your business. I brought you dinner, though."

Franziska turned back towards her desk, finding a small cup of noodles in a styrofoam bowl in front of her. She furrowed her brow, "What is this nonsense before me?"

"Only the finest microwave ramen money can buy!" Maya gleamed.

Franziska grabbed the cup of noodles by the top and lifted it up, inspecting the underside of the bowl, "It's marked at three dollars."

"Which is absolutely ridiculous for ramen in a cup." Maya shook her head.

"When I gave you money for dinner, I gave you enough so that you could get dinner for me as well. I had hoped you were smart enough to pick up on the hint." Franziska growled.

Maya grew offended at that, "Hey! I knew that! That's why I got you this!"

Franziska looked at Maya with a blank look before giving up and taking the bowl of noodles. As she stirred it, she just shook her head in disapproval and muttered, "Do I want to ask where all the money I gave you went?"

Maya tapped her chin, "No, but I'm almost positive you'll figure it out soon enough." She shrugged and pulled up a chair, sitting across from Franziska with the desk in between them, "So, whatcha been working on?"

"..." Franziska flinched for a brief moment, not able to remember. With a spoonful of ramen in her mouth, she woke the computer up to check what document she was last working on. "I was filing the motion for closed court proceedings before… well, you remember."

"You've talked about that before, but why?" Maya asked, tilting her head, "Nick never did anything like that."

"Because Phoenix Wright has had no need to hide trials from the public eye." Franziska explained, strangely finding herself unable to stop eating the ramen, "If word gets out that I was working the defense in this trial, this entire case would go under investigation from the Conviction Integrity Unit. They might assume that I, a known and accomplished prosecutor, conspired with the prosecution's office to set Daniel Tanner at a disadvantage in the trial. That doesn't even go to mentioning how I'm not even certified to work defense." Franziska sighed, "Closed proceedings create less holes for the truth to slip through. We should be safer that way."

Maya just nodded. She understood most of what Franziska was saying, "That's smart."

"Of course it is. I came up with it." Franziska shot back, still eating the ramen, "...I might have been too hasty to judge this meal. It's not terrible. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Maya grinned and swayed in her chair, "I can't believe I got Franziska von Karma hooked on microwave cuisine."

"I cannot believe that either." She went silent for a moment before slowly looking back at Maya, "...You will speak of this to no one."

"If you say so…" Maya giggled.

Franziska looked back at the computer and the documents she had open, "I finished the request to the Becksdale Police Department to acquire a deposition from Dawn Jennings as well. I don't believe it'll arrive in time for court tomorrow, but it would be nice to have if proceedings drag on another day."

Maya pursed her lips, nodding yet still a bit concerned, "What do you think the prosecution will be trying to do tomorrow?"

"My brother is a fool, but he's at least half as good of a prosecutor as I am. It'll be a challenge, but we should be fine." Franziska replied, "If it were my case, I would be exaggerating Daniel Tanner's past crime and painting the fact he is a killer a great aspect of his character. There's no doubt my brother will do the same. There was a statement from the wife that claims that Daniel Tanner was the last person to be seen with Ireland Boyd, which I would stress to the judge, and which I assume Miles will as well." Franziska pursed her lips for a moment and shook her head, "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think that Detective Rice's past will go unnoticed by my brother. It is an advantage, but Miles will just have to work around it. I'm sure he's thinking of ways to do so as we speak."

Maya frowned, "Oh…" She let out a sigh, "Well, it is helpful having someone who knows how the prosecution works on our side, right?"

"Yes, I suppose." Franziska sighed as well, "However, it's of no help knowing what will happen if I don't know how to counter it."

"So…" Maya began cautiously, "You have no clue what to do, huh…?"

Franziska shook her head, "I always know what to do. But…" She shifted uneasily in her chair, glancing off to the side, "Sometimes I don't always know right away…"

"Don't worry. Nick never knows what to do, even as he's doing it." Maya said, "You're at least one step ahead of him here."

"That comes of no surprise, but is still relieving to hear." Franziska sighed.

"You should get some actual sleep." Maya said softly, "Tomorrow's gonna be...interesting. You need to sleep, and not on Nick's desk."

Franziska pursed her lips at that comment but let it slide, "You have a point. Besides, I finished the ramen." She looked at the empty cup in her hand in disappointment before she realized something, "You live out in Kurain Village, don't you?"

Maya nodded, "Yup."

"That's almost two hours away. You can't possibly be thinking about taking the train out there at this hour." Franziska said, "I don't even think the train runs this late."

Maya only shrugged, "There is one train for the night that leaves pretty soon. I don't mind the ride, either. It's calming."

Franziska shook her head, "That's ridiculous. At least stay with me for tonight."

"R-Really?" Maya looked taken aback, and she blinked rapidly, "No, I couldn't!"

"I insist." Franziska crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "I'm not jeopardizing the case because my co-counsel stayed up all night and morning because of a lengthy train commute."

Shifting in her seat, Maya mulled it all over for a moment, "...Just this once, maybe."

"Thank you." Franziska said, focus shifting back towards the desktop monitor in front of her, "I'll only be a few minutes more. I've finished mostly every motion I need to file in the morning."

Maya nodded, "I can wait, no problem."

Only a few moments after that, the printer ran off and Franziska gathered all the papers and placed them in a folder. She placed them with the other files and let out a sigh.

"We're done here." Franziska said plainly, "No point in standing around longer than we need to." She was putting her shoes back on, and soon enough she was already at the door, waiting for Maya to join her.

Maya had a sheepish grin on her lips when she reached the door, and Franziska knew that look well enough by that point to just shoot her look that said 'just spill it already.' Maya put on a bright smile and tried to play up her sympathy points, "...Do you think we could go out for something to eat before we check out for the night?"

Franziska's face went blank and she eventually rolled her eyes, just stepping out of the door and not bothering to look back to see if Maya was following or not.


	6. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 4

It was 9:50 in the morning, ten minutes before the beginning of the trial. Maya was talking with Daniel in the defendant lobby, whereas Franziska was waiting in the main hall, leaning against a pillar. She was drumming her fingers against her arm, and every so often she'd tap her foot in impatience. Punctuality was of the utmost importance in being a lawyer. Franziska couldn't imagine what was holding Edgeworth up so long. She was relishing in the possibility of telling him off for his tardiness as well.

At around 9:55, Miles finally walked through the doors to the courthouse, and Franziska straightened up upon laying eyes on him. Immediately, Franziska could sense something off about Miles, so she approached him cautiously, brows furrowed the entire time.

"What has gotten into you, brother?" Franziska asked, looking Miles over curiously, "I do hope this does not affect your performance in court, because I want my victory over you to be fair and square. I will not accept a fluke."

Miles clenched his jaw, keeping his gaze plastered on the ground, "I can assure you that it will not impact me in the courtroom. I know how to leave my personal quarrels at the courtroom door." He finally lifted his gaze to look at Franziska, and his eyes were unreadable on her end, "Once this trial is said and done… There's something I must tell you, Franziska."

Franziska narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "Why can't you just tell me now, and spare me the unnecessary angst?"

"While I can say for sure that what I just learned won't affect my performance in the courtroom today, I can't say the same for you." Miles said.

Baring her teeth, Franziska grabbed onto Miles's cravat and pulled against it harshly, "What kind of little girl do you take me to be if you think I cannot handle bad news before a case? Do you know how many times Scruffy has let me down moments before I step into a courtroom? I can handle it!"

Edgeworth's eyes flashed with guilt, but they returned to being reserved quickly enough. He barely even flinched at Franziska's anger, "Please, sister… Just wait until this entire trial is finished. I promise you I will tell you then. For now, just focus on the case. Like you, I want this trial to be fair and square. I don't want an advantage over you. I want this to be a battle of equals."

"You fool.." Franziska sneered and let go of Miles cravat, spinning on her heel and heading back to the defendant lobby, "This stopped being a battle of equals the second you placed me on the defense's bench. You already have the advantage."

Miles let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He should've suspected Franziska to react that way, but it didn't take the sting out of it all.

Franziska stormed into the defendant lobby seconds later, immediately grabbing Maya and Daniel's attention by her kicking the door open. Daniel flinched, and Maya just frowned in concern.

"Is something wrong, Franziska?" Maya asked softly, watching as Franziska glared out of the window towards the main hall.

Franziska sternly shook her head, sneering, "I was only reminded of how badly I needed this chance to defeat Miles Edgeworth once and for all… Today, I'll finally get my revenge…"

Daniel looked over at Maya, worried and confused. Maya just shook her head and sighed. Tensions would be running high in court, that she could already tell.

* * *

"Court is now in session for the case of The People v. Daniel Tanner. Are the prosecution and defense ready?"

Maya looked up at the judge's bench, eyebrows furrowed and an odd look on her face. The judge looked nearly exactly like the typical one they had for cases, but his hair was blond instead of grey. He also looked and sounded a lot younger.

Franziska clenched her jaw, "Miles Edgeworth assured me that he'd get a judge that did not know me… That fool! We've had this very same judge only a week ago in the case against Iris!" Her gaze flew over towards Miles, who just had his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Miles uttered eventually, not even bothering to open his eyes.

Not taking her eyes off of Miles, Franziska placed her fist on the bench and scornfully answered, "The defense stands ready."

The judge looked between the two counsellors and scratched his chin, "Hmm. You two seem awfully familiar to me."

"Have you forgotten, Your Honor?" Miles flashed a grin, "You oversaw my first case as a prosecutor seven years ago. It was quite memorable, that case with Terry Fawles."

"Oh! Yes, I do remember!" The judge exclaimed, "My, what a strange case that was…"

Miles nodded in agreement. Franziska didn't let up on her glare until the judge addressed her personally.

"So, if the prosecution is this man… I suppose that makes you… Phoenix Wright, for the defense?" The judge looked her over, "I envisioned a male, but I suppose I must've had it wrong…"

Franziska forced a smile to her lips for a brief moment, "Well, I certainly am not Miles Edgeworth. Who else could I be?"

"Ah, an obvious answer to an obvious question. No point in introductions any longer. We should move on." The judge said.

Maya shuffled closer to Franziska and nudged her side to get her attention, "Are you trying to impersonate Nick?"

"His name was already tied to the defense, and it's not like I can just state my own." Franziska said, "Technically I never said I was Phoenix Wright. That would be perjury. The judge just assumed so on his own. I'm not in the wrong here."

"Are you really concerned about perjury?" Maya scrunched her nose, "Every witness I've ever seen on that stand has committed perjury, and I swear none of them ever got penalized for it."

Franziska frowned, "...That is strange, isn't it? Hmph… I may have to change that in the future."

Focusing back on the trial, Edgeworth was up to give his opening statement. Again, he looked like he was giving minimal effort, his arms still crossed and his voice barely more nuanced than a monotone.

"This is a case of a man who misunderstood the meaning of a 'Good Samaritan.' He saw the damage Ireland Boyd was doing to the community, so in the only way he knew how to solve problems, Daniel Tanner resorted to violence and murder to end Ireland Boyd's drunken ways." Miles said flatly, eyes drifting over towards Franziska, "The prosecution will prove that the defendant had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit this crime. Daniel Tanner killed once before, and he's not above doing it again."

"Objection!" Franziska growled, slamming her hands on the bench, "The prosecution is engaging in a pointless defamation of my client! His prior crimes bear no relevance to this case!"

"I must disagree, Ms. Wright. A previous charge of murder absolutely has everything to do with the building of the defendant's character. I declare the objection overruled, but I will advise the prosecution to tread carefully in regards to this matter." The judge stated simply.

Miles barely looked fazed. Franziska balled her hands into fists. Already she was starting to see the downsides to being on the other bench in the courtroom.

The judge banged his gavel, "The prosecution may call its first witness."

Miles nodded, "The prosecution calls Detective Charlie Rice to the stand."

The ill-mannered detective from before walked up to the witness stand, and his eyes were trained on the defense the entire time. Franziska could feel her blood boiling already. She was looking forward to the moment where she could destroy Detective Rice.

"State your name and profession for the record, witness." Edgeworth demanded.

Rice crossed his arms and straightened his posture, "My name is Charlie Rice, and I'm a homicide detective for the Los Angeles precinct."

Maya's lips quirked in a bit of a grin, "I think that's the first time that's ever gone smoothly for Edgy."

Franziska quirked a brow and let out a quick breath, but it wasn't time to be amused. She focused back on Rice's testimony.

"Please testify about your involvement with the case, Detective Rice." The judge asked, lacing his fingers together and propping his elbows upon the bench.

"I received a call from dispatch at around 5:30 in the morning that a couple out fishing found a body in the lake. I arrived at the scene and questioned the couple, then phoned forensics to get a team issued to Gourd Lake. We examined the crime scene and found that the victim was bludgeoned to death. I was then the officer to make the arrest when all of our findings pointed to Daniel Tanner as the guilty party." Detective Rice stated. He glanced over at Franziska again. It was starting to get annoying, and slightly unnerving with his obsession with her.

The judge closed his eyes and nodded, "The defense may proceed with a cross examination."

"You got this, Franziska!" Maya said in a stage whisper, clutching her fists close to her chest.

Franziska narrowed her eyes at Detective Rice. There was less to his testimony than what he told to her previously. She assumed Miles told him to leave anything extraneous out, but unfortunately for Edgeworth, Franziska knew more than he probably figured.

"What time would you estimate you arrived at the scene?" Franziska asked, voice laced with a sigh and eyes trained on her gloves.

"About 5:45 am." Detective Rice answered.

Trying to come off as passive as possible, Franziska continued, "And what did you do immediately upon arrival?"

Detective Rice furrowed his brow, "Questioned the couple who found the body and then phoned for forensics."

"Was the couple present the entire time until forensics arrived?"

"I-... No…" Detective Rice admitted after a pause.

"Oh? How come?" A hint of a grin rose to Franziska's lips.

"They were shaken up. I sent them home so they could calm down."

"What time did you send them away?"

"Around six, maybe."

"And when did forensics arrive?"

"Six-thirty."

Franziska proudly showed off her sly grin at that moment. She got him right where she wanted him. "So you were alone at the crime scene for those thirty minutes?"

Detective Rice flared up in anger for a moment, but as soon as he did, it vanished, "...Yes, I was."

Now Franziska walked around the defense's bench, now moving about the well, "Noted. Now, tell me this, Detective Rice… Is it true that you wish to be sheriff one day?"

"Objection." Miles muttered, "Irrelevant."

The judge looked to Franziska, who merely shrugged and shook her head, "Your Honor, I promise you this line of questioning has a purpose. I only need a few more questions until I strike gold."

"Tread carefully, Ms. Wright." The judge warned, "I do not want to hold you in contempt for wasting this court's time. The witness will answer."

Doing her best to shrug off the 'Wright' thing, Franziska simply spun on her heel back towards Rice, "I assure you that it won't be a waste."

Detective Rice clutched at his jacket sleeve, "Yes, I do want to be sheriff."

"I'm certain you know what makes a persuasive campaign for sheriff, then. You must be swift in your investigations, yet still be correct in finding the guilty party. Having an impressive amount of closed cases during your time as detective would help out your campaign a great deal, no?" Franziska tilted her head, still smirking.

"Yes, it would. That's why I exhausted a great deal of energy in working this case to find the right guy." Detective Rice responded.

"But that's got to be hard, isn't it? Being fast _and_ being precise in an investigation? It would help to have a bit of something working in your favor, I would think. Like, for example, tampering a crime scene as to make your job easier?" Franziska approached the witness stand at that point, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at Rice confidently.

Detective Rice's only response was scorn and a growl. Franziska didn't back down; she only lifted her chin further, "You have a track record of evidence tampering, don't you, Detective Rice?" She held up three fingers, "Three charges, to be more specific?"

"Objection!" Miles threw his arm in the air and pointed towards Franziska, "The defense is trampling over its own words, defaming an accomplished detective with his past crimes!"

"Oh, please!" Franziska nearly broke out into a laugh, "There are thirty minutes unaccounted for in the investigation where Detective Rice, a known tamperer of evidence, was on his own at the crime scene. The defense has every right to call the chain of custody into question!"

The judge opened his mouth to say something, but Miles cut him off by slamming his hands on the bench, "Whatever ridiculous conjecture you're spouting does nothing to help your case! You're wasting our time!"

Franziska shook her head, that smug expression of hers now stern, "You have some nerve, Miles Edgeworth, having the audacity to stand here in this courtroom with such ignorance of the law!"

Miles recoiled a bit, shock written all over his features. Maya had a hand over her mouth; she couldn't believe how aggressively Franziska was going after everyone, even her own brother.

The sound of leather rubbing together was loud in Edgeworth's ears as Franziska clenched her fists repeatedly while speaking, "You as a prosecutor should know the reason why the court system exists the way it does. It protects the accused and gives them a fair, just trial. To ensure that the accused are not taken advantage of, the system puts the burden on the prosecution to prove that the accused is guilty. The prosecution's burden of proof is to prove _beyond a reasonable doubt_ that the accused committed a crime." Franziska shifted her focus back to Detective Rice, pointing at him, "A man who is known to ruin the integrity of crime scenes having been alone and undocumented for _thirty minutes_ at a crime scene creates enough reasonable doubt alone regarding Daniel Tanner's guilt without needing to see any other scrap of evidence!"

The judge blinked rapidly. He couldn't find any faults in Franziska's arguments, "I-I cannot be the only one observing the irony in the defense lecturing the prosecution on the state's burden of proof…"

Maya grinned slightly to herself. Only a year ago was Franziska completely blind to that part of the prosecution as well, not caring about innocence but only a perfect record, but it seemed as if Franziska knew better now.

"While it's obvious that the burden of proof hasn't been met, the defense does not rest. I want to hear more about your account of the crime, Detective Rice." Franziska banged her hand on the witness stand, "Testify to what you believe happened that day. Now!"

"That… That's my job…" The judge said sadly.

Detective Rice looked about ready to pounce on Franziska, but something restrained him. Maybe it was Franziska's own glare and drive to fight keeping him at bay. Anyways, he let out an annoyed grunt and carried on with his testimony.

"Daniel Tanner went out drinking with Ireland Boyd before the murder occurred. Something must have ticked, and Tanner took Ireland out to Gourd Lake, where he bludgeoned Ireland to death at the scene. The autopsy report confirms this."

Franziska immediately dived into her next round of questions, "Did you ever find the murder weapon?"

"No. We assume the defendant took it with him when he fled the scene." Rice shot back.

"What do you believe the weapon to be?"

"Simple. It was a pipe. The wounds found on Ireland were cylindrical in shape, about an inch in diameter. The defendant took a pipe with him because he knew that he was going to kill Ireland that night."

"Objection." Franziska said, not even dignifying Rice with any excitement behind discovering the contradiction, "Wrong."

Rice growled, "How is that wrong?!"

Franziska walked over towards the defense bench, waving her hand at Maya to hand her something, "If you had actually done your job correctly, you would've actually found the murder weapon." Maya handed Franziska the branches they found the day before, now sealed in evidence bags, "Let's see here. Two tree branches covered in blood, and...oh! Look at that. An inch in diameter, just about. It was buried only a few yards away from where the body was found. Tell me, how do you mess up that badly, detective?"

"Objection!" Miles shouted, leaning against the bench with his hands pressed flat on the surface. He was looking a lot more panicked than he did earlier, "So the detective misidentified the murder weapon! It doesn't detract anything from the case at hand!"

"It detracts _everything_ from the case at hand!" Franziska shot back, "It contradicts with Detective Rice's portrayal of the murder being premeditated! A tree branch is indicative of a spur of the moment decision to murder someone! One couldn't have relied on the possibility of there being the perfect tree branch lying around for them to use for the murder if they had decided to kill Ireland Boyd before arriving at Gourd Lake!"

Maya was absolutely ecstatic at that moment. Never had she and Nick had such a strong start to a case before.

Franziska wasn't even beginning to let up yet, "If that doesn't satisfy you on the fact this murder was not planned in advance of going to Gourd Lake, maybe something else will. Detective Rice! You are withholding something from this court. Don't even think of lying, because I could just as easily cite the statement of stipulated facts provided to us by the court for this, but I want to hear it out of your mouth." She held a hand to her ear, obviously taunting Rice as she leaned closer to the witness stand, "So, what else did you and your team find at the crime scene, Detective Rice?"

Rice was twitching from agitation at that point, but he did eventually reply, "...Beer cans."

"That's it!" Franziska slammed her hand on the witness stand again, "Why would the killer wait until they've had something to drink before killing Ireland Boyd? This obviously was a crime committed in the heat of the moment!"

The adrenaline was freely flowing at that point, coursing through her veins. Franziska felt that smug grin itching back to the surface once again. Nothing ever felt so good as to tear into a witness such as Charlie Rice before.

"I-I object!" Rice shouted, reaching his breaking point and acting without so much as going over it in his head first.

Franziska let herself laugh lowly beneath her breath at that, shaking her head, "Please, Detective Rice… Know your place and keep quiet. You bear no right to raise objections. We wouldn't want the courtroom to turn into a child's playground with everyone shouting, now would we?" Nothing felt as redeeming as it did to watch Rice's energy snuff out at that very comment. Franziska relished having the opportunity to use Rice's very insult against her against him.

"The defense has no further questions for this witness." Franziska said simply, returning to her place behind the defense's bench and next to Maya.

Edgeworth was reduced to mere silence after Franziska's display. The judge was looking stunned, and it took him a few moments to realize he was allowed to speak since Franziska was done speaking.

"W-Well… That certainly was an… _exciting_ cross from the defense… Before we continue any further in the trial, I'm going to issue a thirty-minute recess." The judge cleared his throat, "...Yes. I could use one right about now. Court is in recess."

Once the gavel was struck, Maya nearly exploded in glee.

"F-Franziska!" She shouted happily, jumping and bouncing in excitement, "T-That was amazing! You had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!"

Franziska let herself flash a grin for a moment before her focus went over to Edgeworth, who was quietly gathering up his files, "It was nothing short of my standards, even if it was for the side I'm usually against."

The bailiff was approaching the two of them to escort them out of the courtroom for the recess, so Franziska just started walking and hoped Maya bounced along with her.

"When you started going after Miles about the whole burden thing… my goodness! You were on fire!" Maya gleamed, settling into the defendant lobby once they walked inside, "You really showed him how it's done!"

Even when she tried not to, the pandering to Franziska's ego made it hard for her to not smile, "Well… I've had to accept that part of a prosecutor's responsibility recently. It's easy for someone to ignore that part of the law if they're foolish enough to only focus on their conviction rate. I've come to learn that." It was obvious she was speaking from experience, which didn't fall deaf on Maya's ears.

Maya just grinned teasingly, "Who are you, and what have you done to the real Franziska von Karma?"

Franziska's face fell blank, "Don't get me wrong. I still want to crush my brother and Phoenix Wright in court. I'm not past that."

Letting out a nervous laugh, Maya scratched her cheek, "There she is…"

Daniel was escorted into the defendant lobby at that moment, and he had a large grin on his face, "Ms. Franziska! You were incredible out there! I can't thank you enough!"

"Don't thank me yet. We're just getting started." Franziska crossed her arms and glanced off to the side, "Miles Edgeworth would never go down that easily. I would be ashamed to call him my brother if he did."

Daniel only nodded, "Understood. But I know you can do it, Ms. Franziska. I believe in you."

Franziska's gaze instantly shot back at Daniel, and her eyebrows knitted together. She couldn't quite understand the faith Daniel had in her, when his life was in her hands to save and hers alone. A guilty verdict would ensure a death sentence. So much was on the line, and yet Daniel trusted Franziska completely- Franziska, who wasn't even an actual defense attorney. Franziska just nodded in response before averting her gaze.

Maya instantly jumped into conversation with Daniel over something, leaving Franziska unbothered for a few moments during the recess. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had with Miles earlier in the morning, the cryptic and enigmatic message he gave her. She couldn't fathom what Miles would hide from her like that, and she didn't like being kept in the dark. If anything, it gave her drive to end the trial sooner so that she could find out.

Franziska was off to a strong start, but the question remained if she could keep her momentum going throughout the entire trial.


	7. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 5

The court was back from recess, and everyone seemed to have settled down from the excitement from before. The judge banged his gavel, signifying the continuation of the court proceedings.

"The next witness may be called." The judge instructed.

"Bring Glenn Warner to the stand." Miles said, crossing his arms.

Glenn was escorted to the stand by a bailiff, and he looked over to Maya and Franziska and flashed a smile. Daniel looked relieved to see his friend on his side too.

Miles jumped right into it, "State your name and occupation, witness."

Glenn clenched his fists and perked up, "My name is Glenn Warner! I work for Danny as his apprentice!"

Franziska immediately flinched and hung her head with an annoyed sigh. Maya looked at her, confused, before Edgeworth cut in.

"Objection, Your Honor!" He shouted defiantly, "This witness is biased for the defendant. His income and livelihood depend on Mr. Tanner's acquittal in this trial!"

"I specifically told him to _not_ mention the apprenticeship…" Franziska muttered, finally gathering the energy to stand up straight again and rebut Edgeworth's claims, "Objection! No witness is completely unbiased! Shall I bring Detective Rice back here to prove it? He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer in regards to Daniel Tanner's guilt!"

The judge instead focused on Glenn, leaning forward and speaking in a softer tone that was probably only reserved for kids, "Now, Mr. Warner, you do understand that lying in court is a crime, correct?"

"Yessir!" Glenn nodded, "W-Wait, I mean yes, Your Honor!"

"So that means that you cannot lie for the sake of your mentor. Do you understand?" The judge asked further.

"I understand, Your Honor." Glenn calmed down considerably, "I'll only tell the truth. Danny wouldn't want me to lie for him, anyways."

"Then I see no problem in allowing this witness to testify. Please, Mr. Warner, tell us about the night of the crime." The judge said.

Franziska felt a wave of relief rush over her. She was starting to see the troubles of being on the defense now.

Glenn let out a calming breath and straightened out, obviously determined, "Alright! Well, it was pretty late. Noises outside caught my attention, so I looked out the window and I could see Ireland shouting at this truck. I heard a strange voice from in the truck telling Ireland to hop in, and Ireland did it. Then they were off. I'd put that all going down at around 1:50 in the morning. I could manage to make out the numbers on my clock beside my bed."

Maya looked at some of the papers on the defense bench. The autopsy report listed the estimated time of death at 2:20 in the morning. It was certain that whoever it was Glenn saw was the killer.

Franziska, however, had her eyes narrowed and her fist clenched on the desk. Maya looked over at her with an eyebrow raised, "What's wrong?" Maya asked.

"He's being a lot more vague than he was with us yesterday." Franziska muttered, her expression reading as conflicted, "I have reason to assume he is either hiding something, or he wasn't truthful yesterday when he told us his story."

Hand covering her mouth, Maya turned over to Glenn, concerned. Their key witness was suddenly throwing a wrench in their case.

"The defense may start its cross examination." The judge stated.

Franziska just let out a sigh and stared Glenn right in the eye. She clenched her jaw, but eventually she broke the silence to begin her questioning, "Could you explain in more detail what you meant by this 'strange voice?'"

Glenn nodded, "I'd never heard it before. I think I would recognize Danny's voice too, so I don't think it was Danny."

Franziska pinched the bridge of her nose. She was obviously hesitant to ask, but she had to, "And could you also clarify what you meant by you managing to 'make out the numbers on your clock?'"

Growing visibly uncomfortable, Glenn looked at the ground and shifted on his feet. The judge looked him over, "Witness, please answer the question."

"I… couldn't see very well…" Glenn admitted, face going red from embarrassment.

There it was. The thing that would royally screw their case over. "W-Why?!" Franziska questioned, bringing her arms close to her chest.

"...I didn't have my glasses on at that time."

Franziska groaned and slammed her arms on the bench, dropping her head onto her arms next. Maya slapped her hand to her forehead. Miles was smirking.

"So, you couldn't see who was in the truck, could you, Mr. Warner?" He asked, amusement present in his voice.

Glenn reluctantly shook his head, "I could only make out the color… It was red."

"Let the record reflect that the defendant's truck is also red." Edgeworth stated proudly, "Thank you, Mr. Warner. You may step down."

"W-Wait!" Franziska lifted her head, obviously desperate to find something worthwhile in Glenn's testimony, "I still have questions!"

"Be careful, Ms. Wright. I do not want this court's time to be wasted." The judge warned.

Franziska sighed, running a hand through her hair. She really could use her whip right about now, "Glenn Warner, you told us yesterday that you stayed up late because you were _reading._ Wouldn't it be hard for you to read without your glasses?"

Glenn pursed his lips and shifted again, "I did stay up to read, but… I fell asleep. Ireland shouting outside woke me back up. I'm sorry…"

"But you are not even wearing glasses right now!" Franziska stammered, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I'm wearing contacts. I'm only supposed to wear one pair per day… I had taken mine out by that point in the night. I use glasses whenever my contacts are out…" Glenn admitted shamefully.

Franziska banged her fist on the desk in defeat, and she lowered her head to keep her face out of view. She was starting to wonder if there was a huge 'kick me' sign on the defense's bench.

Glenn saw Franziska's disappointment, so he was quick to add before he was escorted away, "I-I may not have good eyesight, but I'm not deaf! I know what I heard! It wasn't Danny yelling for Ireland to hop in the truck! You gotta believe me!"

The judge sounded his gavel in response to the outburst, "Order! That's enough!"

Maya looked over towards Franziska, who had her entire upper body resting on the bench. Maya just frowned and patted Franziska's shoulder, which elicited a defeated groan from the blue-haired woman.

Leaning back in his chair, the judge stroked his beard, "I'm afraid I am at an impasse. I cannot give a verdict at this time. I instruct both the prosecution and defense to investigate these matters further. Court is adjourned until tomorrow." He struck his gavel, and that was that.

Franziska and Maya returned to the defendant lobby, where Franziska just sat down on the couch and instantly leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. Maya sat down next to her crossing her legs and lacing her fingers together. Daniel was escorted in soon after.

"Hey, you guys…" Daniel said cautiously, moving to stand in front of the couch, "You did great today. Don't take this as a loss."

Maya smiled faintly, "Heh… That's what we're supposed to say to you… You're supposed to be the one who's the wreck right about now, not us two.."

There was the unmistakable sound of leather clenching, which told Daniel and Maya that Franziska was still not comforted yet as she was balling her fists tightly.

"Ms. Franziska…" Daniel kneeled down so he was closer, "Please don't be upset. I still believe that you can pull through. If anyone can, it's you."

Franziska weakly lifted her head, and her expression read with the same confusion as the last time Daniel said that he trusted her, except it was also mixed in with annoyance from having the trial drag on another day. She let out a low hum before she shifted her gaze to the window looking into the main hall. Edgeworth was right about to leave, and that spurred her into action.

"I'll be back shortly…" She said beneath her breath, exiting from the defendant lobby and speed-walking to catch up with Miles before he left.

"Edgeworth!" She shouted, getting Miles to stop in his tracks and turn around. Franziska used that opportunity to get closer, "Give me your cravat this instant."

Miles furrowed his brow and raised his arm between himself and Franziska to hold her at bay, "What?! No. I'm not giving you my cravat."

Franziska simply reached out and undid the cravat with ease since she knew how Miles constructed it, taking the long strip of fabric and tugging at it, "You can go now. I got what I wanted."

Miles was just frozen in shock, utterly baffled by Franziska's actions, "Why even-"

Twisting the fabric in her hands, Franziska then thwacked Miles with it like she would with her whip, "...This'll do nicely...for now." She commented to herself before spinning on her heel and walking off.

Miles looked down at where his cravat used to be and frowned. He knew better than to fight it, so he just turned around and left, shaking his head.

Franziska returned to the defendant lobby, looking and feeling considerably better. Maya grimaced at the sight of a pseudo-whip. Daniel just looked confused, but didn't ask.

"Maya Fey, you heard the judge. We have to investigate further." Franziska looked back at Daniel, "We will find something concrete to get you the acquittal. That I promise, Daniel Tanner."

Daniel nodded and smiled. Maya stood up from the couch and joined with Franziska, but not before waving goodbye to Daniel, "Bye, Danny! We'll visit you at the Detention Center if we find anything!"

"I won't be going anywhere!" Daniel joked before being led away by the bailiffs. Franziska and Maya left soon after.

"Y'know…" Maya began, hands behind her back, "You can just call me Maya. You don't need to throw my last name in there all the time."

"Force of habit." Franziska explained simply with a sigh, "If you insist, I'll stop… _Maya._ "

Maya grinned a bit, "So where are we headed first?"

"Since our key witness came up short… I'd say we continue where we were last: trying to interrogate Ireland Boyd's wife." Franziska said, "It would be strange if she was still gone. I'll also have to look to see if Dawn Jennings' deposition has been taken yet."

Nodding, Maya clapped her hands together then pointed forward, "Let's go then!"

* * *

When Franziska and Maya arrived at Mrs. Boyd's house, they were once more stopped by Glenn, who looked quite shaken up following what happened in court that day.

"H-Hey!" Glenn shouted from across the street when the two ladies arrived.

Franziska looked back towards the voice and frowned. Maya covered her mouth in concern as Glenn ran up to them. On closer inspection, Glenn's face was red and his eyes were swollen like he had just been crying.

"I-I'm sorry about today… I'm so sorry…" Glenn said, pushing back tears and swallowing any sobs that threatened to come out. He looked at the ground and clenched his fists.

"Aww… Don't be said, Glenn!" Maya frowned, "You still helped us out, even if you don't know it yet."

"I'm sorry… I messed up…" Glenn sniffled, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. He was outright crying, and he covered his eyes with his hands, "Please don't be mad at me, Ms. Franziska!"

Franziska's eyes widened and she looked at Maya for help. Maya just took a step back and lifted her hands up in surrender, "He's more concerned about disappointing you… That's your problem."

Pursing her lips and wincing at the thought, Franziska slowly reached out to pat Glenn's shoulder, very monotone in her comforting even if for once she tried not to be, "There, there… You have done nothing wrong… I am not angry…" She looked at Maya in a panic again.

Maya just gave a thumbs-up and nodded. A fire flared in Franziska's eyes, but it soon died out when Glenn ended up throwing himself into Franziska's arms, and Franziska was even more clueless as to what to do.

Maya let out a sigh and made a hugging gesture, which Franziska awkwardly imitated on Glenn, patting his back.

Franziska eventually relaxed from her stiff posture, letting out a sigh and actually trying to be comforting, "Please, don't cry. You've helped us out a great amount. Without your information on Dawn Jennings, we wouldn't have been able to get a statement from her that gives Daniel Tanner an alibi."

Glenn seemed to finally calm down enough to pull away from Franziska, but he was still sniffling. He wiped at his eyes weakly and let out a sigh, "Okay, no more crying… Is, uh.. Is there anything else I can do to help? I still feel bad…"

Franziska looked over at Maya with an insistent look that said 'you're handling this one.' Maya thought it over before asking, "What was that church rehabilitation program you were talking about? You know, where Dawn and Danny met?"

"It's The House of the Eternal Light. It's a couple blocks down this street.." Glenn pointed down the road, "You can't miss it."

Franziska furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "What sect of religion does that church even practice?"

"Who knows." Glenn sighed, "The priest is the strangest person I've ever met. Careful with him."

At that moment, a car pulled up near them, and out popped none other than Gumshoe.

"Scruffy…" Franziska said once laying eyes on him, confused, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, sir… I saw a kid crying and you were here, so I thought I'd check this out…" Gumshoe said uncomfortably.

Franziska growled, "Are you insinuating that _I_ was the one to make him cry?!"

Gumshoe flinched, "It's not completely unfounded…"

"He's got a point…" Maya frowned, glancing away.

Franziska took the cravat she stole from Miles and twisted it, smacking Gumshoe upside the head with it. It got a laugh out of Glenn, so she was doing something right.

"Don't worry. She didn't do anything." Glenn said with a smile.

Nodding, Gumshoe just shot Franziska an apologetic look and took a step away, "Understood, pal. I should be off now then…"

"Wait." Franziska said firmly, "Where are you off to, Scruffy?"

"The house of...energy life." Gumshoe said, uncertain, "Some church down the street. We have reason to believe that the priest can establish a clear timeline for the case."

"What a coincidence." Franziska grinned teasingly, "We're headed there as well."

Gumshoe scratched at the back of his head awkwardly, "Just so you know, Edgeworth is there as well."

Franziska tugged at Miles's old cravat, "Perfect. Maya, let's go pay my brother a visit."

Maya just nodded, "Got it!"

It was an awkward reunion at the church once everyone had arrived. Gumshoe was the one who was the most visibly uncomfortable, Maya was keeping her distance, and Miles and Franziska kept exchanging strange looks. It was quite the childish feud they were having. They were really starting to look like siblings at that point.

Miles and Franziska essentially had the priest, Jeffrey May, surrounded for his questioning. It was a bit daunting, but he wasn't showing much discomfort. His own eccentricity canceled out with the oddity with Miles and Franziska.

"We've been told that you may have some information regarding the night of Ireland Boyd's murder." Miles started it off.

Jeffrey put a finger to his lips and shushed Miles, "Shh… I'm getting a message from the light…" He closed his eyes, holding out his arms, "Hmm… They're permitting me to speak. Yes, I do have information."

Franziska crossed her arms and stomped her foot, already fed up with this man, "Then spill it."

Jeffrey placed his hands together and nodded, "On the night of the murder, I was plagued with horrible nightmares. I thought the light was sending me a message about the darkness threatening to take over one of my subjects, so I called Mr. Tanner because I was concerned. I recorded my thoughts and actions in my dream journal."

"Dream…journal." Franziska repeated, dumbfounded, "Dear god…"

"Ah!" Jeffrey exclaimed in shock, holding his hands out towards Franziska, "Do not say that name on these holy grounds of the light! I can protect you now, but the light will not be so forgiving the next time."

Franziska looked at Miles, who was fighting off a grin. Franziska just growled at the sight, and Miles carried on in questioning Jeffrey. "Would it be possible if we could see the dream journal to establish a clear timeline?"

Jeffrey's eyes shot wide and he placed a finger to his temple, "The light is speaking to me…!"

"Here we go again…" Franziska rolled her eyes.

A few moments later, Jeffrey just shook his head insistently, "I cannot share the contents of the dream journal with just anyone."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Miles crossed his arms and gave Jeffrey a strange look, "Our sources tell us that you read the contents of the dream journal aloud during mass. Why can you not tell us?"

"Don't be foolish, Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska scoffed, unfolding her arms and shoving Miles' shoulder, "The prosecution cannot have this one! There's an expectation of privacy when recording thoughts and actions in a dream journal so the state cannot search or seize his property without reason!"

Miles stumbled a bit to the side from Franziska's shove, but he brushed it off and countered quickly, "Expectation of privacy? Please… It's shared between the people of the church!"

"An expectation of privacy can exist even if it's between more than two parties! The expectation is that the contents of the dream journal are not shared outside of the church!" Franziska snapped her fingers to get Jeffrey's attention, "You! Is what I've said not correct? That the contents of the dream journals are not to be shared outside of the church?"

Jeffrey nodded, "Yes, that's true! Only followers of the Eternal Light are allowed audience to a reading of a dream journal!"

Franziska looked over at Miles and crossed her arms proudly. Miles grumbled something under his breath before looking back at Jeffrey, "Please, we do not wish to pry. We only want to have the entry on the night of Ireland Boyd's murder."

Jeffrey shook his head, "Rules are rules. I do not wish to disobey the light."

"There is one fix I can think of for the prosecution…" Franziska grinned teasingly, stepping closer to Miles and poking his forehead with her finger, "Get baptized as a follower of the Eternal Light, and the information's yours."

Miles grimaced at the mere thought of it all. Eventually he grew fed up with it all, and he turned towards Gumshoe, "Gumshoe! We're leaving! This was a dead end and a waste of time." He spared one last look at Franziska before spinning around and storming off.

Franziska shot a grin back at Maya and waved her up next to her. Maya was at her side in seconds, "I don't think I've ever seen Edgy so bothered before!"

"Well, if I have any hopes of winning this trial for the defense, I figured that I'd have to know the law better than Miles did to get the advantage." Franziska laughed below her breath, "It seems to be working. Now… where was I? Oh, right. Jeffrey May! Tell us about how you know Ireland Boyd."

"Everyone knows Ireland Boyd. He is tainted with darkness and is a despicable man. His wife… Oh, his poor wife… I've tried so hard to persuade her to leave him, but she wouldn't do it. He beats her and her kids, yet she stays… I don't understand it." Jeffrey said in lament.

Franziska nodded, "Is there anything else you can say about the night of the murder?"

"Nothing else sticks out to me." Jeffrey shook his head, "It took a few calls to Daniel's home phone and then a call to his cell for him to pick up at around 1:55 in the morning. I believe I woke him up. He sounded bothered."

Drawing in her lower lip between her teeth, Franziska narrowed her eyes and turned her head away, "Dammit…!"

Maya immediately gasped and covered her mouth, "Franziska! This is sacred ground! Watch yourself!"

Franziska just shot Maya a glare and spun on her heel, walking away. Maya eventually followed, catching up with Franziska outside.

"What's the matter this time?" Maya asked, confused.

Franziska shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, "The prosecution can make the argument about the possibility of Daniel Tanner being away from home at the time of the phone call, which would mean _he_ was the one to take Ireland Boyd to Gourd Lake to kill him." She gritted her teeth, "If he didn't answer his home phone but answered his cell… That could mean he wasn't home to hear the first few calls. That throws a wrench in our case."

Maya's shoulders sagged, "Aw, darn… That's not good at all… What are we going to do?"

"Pray to god that Dawn Jenning's deposition arrives in time for the trial." Franziska sighed, "It's the only thing that can give Daniel Tanner an alibi."

"How do we know if we got it or not?" Maya asked.

"I requested for it to be dropped off at Phoenix Wright's office." Franziska stated.

Maya nodded, "Then we should check now!" But then she paused, "Oh, wait… Weren't we here to interrogate the wife?"

Franziska threw her arms up in the air in surrender, "I've given up on that. We've been interrupted too many times. I doubt that she holds anything valuable to tell us either."

"If you say so…" Maya trailed off.

Their strong start had crashed and burned at this point.

* * *

The deposition was in the office's mailbox, which came as a great relief to both Franziska and Maya. They were eating more ramen as they read over the deposition, to Franziska's great joy and Maya's confusion.

Franziska flipped through the pages of the document, eyebrows raised in amusement, "Well, this girl certainly is a catch…"

Maya tilted her head, noodles hanging out of her mouth, "How so?"

"When the attached note from the Becksdale precinct stressed that the deposition was an untouched, accurate transcription of the interview… I thought nothing of it." Franziska nearly laughed, "They took absolutely nothing out. The entire first page and most of the middle of the deposition is riddled with insults to the detectives questioning her."

"No way!" Maya laughed, leaning forward over the desk, "Show me!"

Franziska held out the paper and pointed to a certain line, one that Maya read over and broke out into a laugh at, "What kind of insult is 'sock-puppet reject,' anyway?" Maya said between laughs.

Shaking her head, Franziska fought off a grin of her own, "I have no idea. Aside from that, this deposition is the gem we need to make our case."

"Even if it didn't help our case, those insults alone make it a gem." Maya teased.

Franziska quirked a brow, but she didn't fight that comment either, "It aligns perfectly with Glenn Warner's testimony. It also asserts that Daniel Tanner never left the house again once he parted ways with Ireland Boyd. The only questionable part about this testimony is how she essentially insinuated that she broke into Daniel Tanner's house that night to surprise him when he got home…" She trailed off, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.

Maya just shrugged, "No big deal. We've all been there."

Franziska opened her mouth, intending to question further, but she just closed her mouth and let it slide, "Fair enough…"

"Do you think we're going to be okay in court tomorrow?"

There was an uncharacteristic silence from Franziska, and she only looked down at her ramen and continued eating. Maya furrowed her eyebrows in concern.

"Franziska…" She said quietly, "…Why aren't you saying anything?"

Franziska pursed her lips, "Normally I can respond to that question with the utmost confidence that I will do well. I hesitated. I felt it would be best if I just said nothing."

Maya's gaze dropped, "This has got to be hard for you, with all the uncertainty and everything…"

"Maya, I don't mind talking about myself- in fact, I do it quite often. But I don't talk about myself in _that_ way. Not in front of others." Franziska stated plainly, her gaze harsh when looking at Maya.

Maya let out a sigh. She should've expected that response, "Sorry for asking...but you should know that should you ever need to, you could talk about yourself _that_ way with me. You don't need to bottle it up inside. I won't judge you for anything you say."

Franziska scrunched her nose, "What if I told you that I was considering joining the House of the Eternal Light?"

Maya was silent for a moment before she winced slightly, "Okay, maybe I'd just you just a _little_ bit...but only because I'm looking out for you and that's a very stupid decision to make."

"I didn't mean that, just so you know." Franziska stared at her ramen, "I had to check."

"I meant what I said before, though." Maya said, "If you ever decided to actually talk about your feelings, I'll listen."

Franziska clenched her jaw, keeping her gaze fixated on her food and not Maya. She didn't say anything. Maya knew it wasn't something Franziska was ever comfortable with.

"It's getting late." Maya said eventually, "We got a pretty long day ahead of us tomorrow. I don't really think there's any more to this case than what we've already found. I think tomorrow's it for this case."

"I've gotten the same feeling myself." Franziska admitted, closing her eyes and shaking her head, "All I know is that there's only one ending to tomorrow that I can accept."

"The ending where you get your revenge against Miles?" Maya asked.

Franziska shook her head, expression reading that she was hesitant to disclose, "No. The one where Daniel Tanner is cleared of these ridiculous charges and can go free like he deserves."

Maya's lips quirked in a soft grin. There was a lot she wanted to say about Franziska's change of heart, but Maya knew that pressing further would probably negate all progress she had made with Franziska. "Then call it a night. Can't risk losing it tomorrow because you didn't get any sleep, huh?"

Franziska nodded. She silently stood up from the desk and threw away the empty bowl to the ramen they were eating.

Sensing something was off, Maya slowly stepped in between Franziska and the door before Franziska could leave, "Hey… You alright there, Franziska? You're acting a little strange..."

Franziska just looked at Maya, and her expression was unreadable. She was visibly caught up in her own thoughts, and Maya assumed she was conflicted over _something,_ but she couldn't quite imagine what.

"Good night, Maya Fey." Franziska eventually said in a low voice, moving around Maya and walking out of the door.

Maya was left in the dust, and she watched as Franziska left. She felt responsible for whatever was going on in Franziska's mind, and she didn't like that feeling.


	8. The Drunken Turnabout: Part 6

Once again, Franziska found herself waiting in the main hall of the courthouse waiting for her brother arrive. Maya noted that Franziska was still noticeably silent that morning like she was the night prior, and every once and awhile, Maya would peek out of the defendant lobby window to check on Franziska in the main hall. Daniel looked concerned as well, but Maya told him to not worry about it.

Eventually Miles walked into the courthouse, spotting Franziska and not paying her too much attention as he walked passed her and towards the stairs, "Have you come to gloat before the trial?" He said in passing.

Franziska shook her head, "No. I came to ask you something."

Stopping in his tracks, Miles turned to glance over his shoulder at his sister, "Is that so? What is it?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me that it was going to be this hard?" Franziska asked. Her voice was weaker than it usually was, and it lacked the bite it normally did.

Miles turned fully to face Franziska, and his expression was solemn. While it did seem like Franziska was only referring to the challenge of working the defense, Miles knew what it really was about. "I didn't want to discourage you, Franziska. It's something that you _must_ do. I didn't want you to quit before you even began."

Franziska crossed her arms, gaze fixated on the ground, "I… I've never felt so many conflicted feelings. Everything I've learned up until now…it feels like a waste! I don't know what any of it means anymore!"

"That's something you have to find out for yourself. You need to find the meaning to everything on your own, Franziska. I can't help you." Miles responded.

"How long must I suffer until I find it?!" Franziska burst, "I don't even know if the answer is worth all of this pain and confusion!"

"I can't answer that for you." Miles sighed, "You must figure it out for yourself whether you want to continue or quit. This journey is not easy. I would hope you'd have the fortitude to see it to the end." And off he walked, leaving Franziska in the dust.

Left on her own, Franziska was quiet for a moment, a million thoughts running through her head. Eventually she grew fed up with it all and let out a distressed growl before stomping off back to the defendant lobby. She did her best to bring her expression and demeanor under control in front of Daniel and Maya, but they still got the impression that something was off about her.

Daniel just smiled a bit upon spotting Franziska, sitting up from the couch and walking over, "Are you ready for another day in court, Ms. Franziska?"

Franziska nodded once, forcing a neutral expression, "If my assumptions prove correct, the trial will come to its end today. Hopefully it does so in our favor."

"Right." Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets, and averted his gaze for a moment, clearing his throat awkwardly, "Well, if you think that's true… then I guess now's as good a time as ever. I should thank the two of you for everything you've been doing for me in this case. I know it's not an easy one, but you two still took it, even when Mr. Wright couldn't. I don't know what to say."

"Aww, Danny…" Maya stood from the couch, moving to Daniel's side, "We're happy to help! It's what we do, after all!"

"Besides, you haven't seen anything yet." Franziska said, a twinkle in her eye and a slight grin to her face.

Daniel grinned widely, "I'm sure of it, Ms. Franziska. You know I believe in you."

Franziska's expression fell and she just stared at Daniel for a moment before slowly nodding her head. The bailiffs appeared to escort Daniel away for the trial, leaving Maya and Franziska on their own for a few moments.

Maya turned to Franziska, a curious look on her face, "With how you just spoke with Danny, I'm assuming we have an ace up our sleeve?"

"Hah…I think I'm taking after Phoenix Wright too much for my own good..." Franziska said weakly, "I was bluffing."

Maya's eyes shot wide and her mouth dropped, "What?! You, bluffing?! Oh god. This is not looking good."

"Stop reminding me!" Franziska snapped, but quickly calmed herself, "...I'm sure the opportunity will arise where I corner Miles once and for all, however…"

Just nodding like she understood, Maya stayed behind as Franziska was then led into the courtroom. She placed a hand over the magatama around her neck and sighed. A few moments later, she finally left.

* * *

Court was back in session for another day, and as quickly as it began, Franziska felt her stomach drop just by who was called to the stand first.

"The prosecution calls…" Miles even seemed to swallow harshly at the thought of it all, "…Jeffrey May to the stand."

Franziska considerably winced at the mere thought, and her face only contorted more into a grimace upon setting eyes on the man. She has come across some strange witnesses in her career, and she was certain that this one was going to make a strong competition for her Top 5. Even worse, she was going to have to be the one to deal with the cross examination. That was never her problem before… she just hoped that the universe would show mercy on her in that moment.

"State your name and occupation for the record…" Miles began, treading carefully.

Jeffrey had his index fingers aimed to both temples, and he closed his eyes in concentration, "Shhh… I'm getting a message."

Maya groaned loudly. Franziska just placed her hand over her face and sighed.

"I am Jeffrey May… head of the House of the Eternal Light…" Jeffrey finally uttered, "The light has permitted me to speak…so I speak."

"Ah! How kind of the light to do so." The judge said, unfazed somehow, "Could you please testify as to what you know about the night of the murder?"

Jeffrey was silent for a moment and then he nodded, "Yes, I hear no objections from the light. Well, I was asleep that night. During my slumber, I had a strange dream about Daniel Tanner being taken by the darkness. It startled me so much, it woke me up in a fright. I called Daniel to check up on him, because I believe that the light gives me messages through my dreams. I called his home phone a few times to no response. I then tried his cell at around 1:55, and he picked up. He sounded bothered when he answered. Something must've gotten on his nerves around then."

"Your Honor," Miles began, hint of a smile on his face, "The defendant only answering his cell and not his home phone opens up the possibility that he indeed was not home at the time, which falls in line with the time of the murder of Ireland Boyd."

"I see…" The judge stroked his beard.

"I may be a man of the cloth," Jeffrey said, and Franziska scoffed audibly at that, "but I have to admit… Ireland Boyd deserved what he received...for the sake of his dear wife, he deserved every bit of wrath the light gave him. The light sees all...especially the darkness of others."

Franziska gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Maya was looking pretty on edge herself, and she looked over at Franziska.

"That evidence is circumstantial at best…" Franziska muttered, "Yet… I cannot fight it…"

Maya stayed quiet at that, instead just looking over the deposition desperately for anything. Sure, the deposition itself was an alibi, but taking the word of a fleeing witness wouldn't pass over well in court.

"The defense may begin its cross." The judge instructed.

Franziska couldn't bring herself to speak for the first few moments, but eventually she managed to just ask a question to stall for time if nothing else, "You've stated that the defendant was bothered when picking up the phone?"

"Yes. There was a roughness to his voice that I had never heard before. Part of me wondered if the darkness had already taken over him!" Jeffrey looked shocked at the thought.

Franziska slowly nodded, figuring it best to not press on that part of the response, "Right… Well, the phone call was at 1:55 in the morning. Couldn't it be that Daniel Tanner was sleeping before you picked up? That would explain the annoyance and the fact it took numerous calls to wake him."

Jeffrey shook his head, "I don't know."

The judge narrowed his eyes, "Unless you have proof to state that Daniel Tanner was indeed at his home, Defense, I will have no choice but the dismiss the witness and issue my verdict."

Letting out a shaky sigh, Franziska lowered her head into her hands and tried and wracked her brain for any answers. She didn't know how she could prove it, and she couldn't believe how she was going to lose her case over something so circumstantial.

Maya was still skimming over the deposition as quickly as she could, and soon enough she came over the 'sock-puppet reject' joke. She let out an amused exhale at that, but she noticed something in that section, and she then nudged Franziska in the side to try and grab her attention. Once she got it, Maya pointed at the statement following the insult, "Look!" Maya whispered, "Dawn heard the home phone ring. It all makes sense now!"

Franziska snatched the deposition out of Maya's hands and read it over before looking up at the judge, "Your Honor, the defense can prove that the defendant was indeed home at the time!"

"Then state it quickly." The judge shot back.

"In my hands I have a deposition from Dawn Jennings, who is the defendant's significant other. She was present at his home at the time of the murder and she can vouch that Daniel Tanner never left his room upstairs once arriving at home at 1:15 am." Franziska looked over that particular passage one more time, "Dawn Jennings states in this deposition that she heard the home phone ring and chose not to answer it because… Well, I do not believe I can repeat these words on the record, but for reasons, and then she heard Daniel's voice shortly after coming from upstairs. This proves that the defendant was indeed home at the time of the phone calls!"

The judge instructed the bailiff to bring the deposition over to him, and he read over the contents for a moment, "…My, you're correct. This woman has quite a mouth on her…" He shook his head, "But this is acceptable evidence. How does the prosecution respond?"

Miles closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "It does not matter what this alleged girlfriend stated, because we still have a witness who will confirm Daniel Tanner's guilt. It's the wife of the deceased herself: Mary Kay Boyd."

Franziska's eyes shot wide and she clenched at her arm's sleeve. Maya just grimaced. The universe seemed to grant Franziska mercy by having Jeffrey act tamer than usual, but in repayment, the universe just royally screwed her case over.

Mary Kay Boyd was then escorted to the stand, and before she spoke, Miles addressed the courtroom, "Before we begin, the prosecution would like to state that the witness has been offered full immunity for her testimony in this case."

"Immunity?" The judge repeated, "For what?"

"Conspiracy to commit murder." Mary Kay interrupted, "I helped Daniel Tanner kill Ireland, because I wanted him out of the picture so me and Daniel could finally be together. I've been having an affair with him ever since he moved into town."

In the heat of the moment, Franziska's gaze shot over towards Daniel, who just vigorously shook his head. Normally Franziska's purpose in the courtroom was to cast doubt on others, but in this situation, all she could do was believe in who she was representing. She never really believed in anyone before, but just the terrified and disgusted expression on Daniel's face was enough to make her put her trust in someone, even if it was just this once.

"Why come forward now?!" Franziska shouted, slamming her hand on the desk, "The trial is nearly over. Why jeopardize yourself by confessing to a crime when the end is already in sight?"

"Detective Rice cornered me." Mary Kay said simply, "He said he'd help me if I was honest with him."

Franziska growled, "Knowing that idiot, he was probably bluffing to see if he could get something to destroy my case… I'd take Scruffy over that foolish fool for a detective any day…"

"Now, if we could get on with the testimony, Your Honor?" Miles turned towards the judge.

"Yes, yes. Let's get to that." The judge agreed, "Witness. We're waiting."

"Daniel has always been obsessed with me, ever since he found out about my... _situation_ with Ireland. Ireland constantly abused me and my kids, and Daniel found that out quickly. Daniel always checked in on me whenever I got into a bad fight with Ireland...and it became obvious that he was making passes at me in doing so. I couldn't help it. I fell for him. We then came up with a scheme to kill Ireland because he was getting worse and worse. Daniel killed him, and I lied to the police to keep him safe...until the police found me out." Mary Kay stated, barely expressive during her testimony.

"That's so gross…" Maya grimaced, not even able to look Mary Kay in the eye.

Franziska nodded weakly in response, and she gave Mary Kay a quick glance over. She placed Mary Kay at around fifty years old, which was probably being nice. Narrowing her eyes, Franziska just continued staring at Mary Kay, something which caught Maya's eye.

"What are you doing?" Maya said in a hushed whisper, glancing between Mary Kay and Franziska uneasily.

"I'm assuming you know of the belief that some of the evilest people are those who can locate and seamlessly attack someone's deepest insecurities?" Franziska asked simply, not tearing her eyes away from Mary Kay.

Maya scratched her cheek, "...Yeah?"

"Well…" Franziska stood up straight and sighed, "If we're to follow that mindset, let's just say that I'm about to become one of the most despicable people on the planet for what I'm going to do."

Wincing at the thought, Maya just nodded and didn't press issues further. In her mind, Maya made a note to never get on Franziska's bad side. Ever. That would end in one of the most eloquently put but viciously assembled personal attack in history.

"So, witness…" Franziska walked out from behind the bench, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, "We're to believe that you've been having an affair with Daniel Tanner?"

"It's the truth." Mary Kay shot back.

"Mmm… Yes, right." Franziska nearly rolled her eyes, "Would you mind telling me when this alleged affair began?"

Mary Kay furrowed her brow in thought, "About a year ago, I'd say."

Despite herself, Franziska nearly gagged from that revelation. That would put Daniel at around 17 or at least close to 18 when the affair began if that were true...and Mary Kay was definitely at least 50. Regardless, Franziska tried to push that imagery to the far back of her mind and she continued, "And you have two children, correct?"

"Yes." Mary Kay nodded, "One is fifteen, and the other is thirteen." Mary Kay stated.

"And Daniel Tanner still pursued you even if he was young enough to be your children's sibling?" Franziska asked cautiously. The entire notion of an affair between the two of them was rancid.

Mary Kay narrowed her eyes, "Yes. I don't understand it either."

"But that didn't deter you the slightest…" Franziska commented, now instead pursuing another direction for her questions, "There's something else I'm curious about. Since Ireland Boyd was a horrible person and a drunkard, I doubt he made much money for the family. Did the income mostly rely on you, Ms. Boyd?"

"...Yes." Mary Kay was visibly growing curious with the line of questioning.

Nodding, Franziska stopped pacing around and settled a foot or two in front of the witness's stand, placing a hand on her hip, "Interesting. Well, Ms. Boyd… Would you consider yourself Daniel's….girlfriend?"

"In juvenile terms, I suppose that's accurate." Mary Kay sighed.

Franziska grinned and lifted her chin, shooting a smug look Mary Kay's way, "Funny. I didn't take Daniel Tanner as the type of guy to have _two_ girlfriends at once."

"There's another?!" Mary Kay recoiled from the witness's stand, shocked.

Miles narrowed his eyes at Franziska, crossing his arms. Franziska could feel his gaze on her, but she didn't falter. Even if what she was going to do was a really, _really_ dickish move, Franziska would be lying if she said she wasn't going to enjoy it and having her brother watch.

"Uh-huh…" Franziska's tone was dripping with amusement, "Her name is Dawn Jennings. Not only does she _not_ have two kids, but her family is overrun with money." Franziska walked up to the witness's stand and placed a hand on it, leaning closer to Mary Kay with an intimidating amount of confidence, "And I must say, she _quite_ the attractive one…especially with that rebellious, _youthful_ air to her. But none of that really matters, does it? Because according to you, Daniel Tanner chose you."

"H-He did…" Mary Kay stuttered, trying to remain strong in this standoff with Franziska.

Franziska only shrugged, and quickly her confident words were replaced with a voice laced with venom, "I find it strange, though… If Daniel Tanner captured the eyes of a woman who was young, hot, and rich...why would he ever settle for an old, basic, used lady like you?" She essentially delivered that last part in a sneer, and she pushed off the witness stand and started walking away.

Maya looked at Franziska with a hand over her mouth, unable to believe what she was hearing right now. Miles had a similar feeling himself, but he wasn't showing it as deeply. Mary Kay was bewildered beyond belief.

"How _dare_ you?!" Mary Kay shot back, "You know nothing about me!"

Franziska came to a stop and slowly turned around, "Oh, I know enough." She pointed at Mary Kay, expression reading like a scowl, "I know you're nearly three times his age. I know you're a mother of two. I know you're supporting your entire family off your income alone. I also know that no teenage male would ever think of entering a relationship with someone like that. It's too much responsibility. No one in the right mind would pass up on what Dawn Jennings has to offer, either. I know something else, too… It's that you, Mary Kay Boyd, are _lying._ "

Mary Kay just growled, but she couldn't bring herself to fight back.

Letting out a sigh, Franziska shook her head, "I also found something else that Dawn Jennings has that you don't, just to add to the long list already. Unlike you, she can actually stand up for herself." With that, she simply went back to behind the defense's bench and waited.

That seemed to be her breaking point, as Mary Kay slammed her hand down on the witness's bench, filled to the brim with anger, "I _can_ stand up for myself! I'm the one who orchestrated the whole murder! I'm the one who freed myself from Ireland's abuse! You have no right to say I don't hold my own when I so clearly can!"

"And I'm sure you're right there, Ms. Boyd. You have the perfect reason to want your husband dead. I don't doubt that you had something to do with the murder, but I know my client wasn't involved in it, either." Franziska retorted.

The judge pounded his gavel, bringing the confrontation between Franziska and Mary Kay to an end. "That's enough! Defense… if you so claim that Daniel Tanner wasn't involved, but Mary Kay was, who do you think the true murderer in this case is?"

"That's obvious, Your Honor. It's…" Suddenly her eyes shot wide. She spoke too soon in saying she knew the murderer's identity. She couldn't think of a name, and Franziska slowly placed her hands on the desk, the courtroom falling under silence.

"That's what I thought…" The judge sighed, "Then I believe it's time for my verdict."

Franziska's worst nightmare suddenly came into fruition, and she hunched over the desk, widened eyes trained on the wood below her, appalled by how yet again, she was on her way for another loss. She failed, and not only did she fail herself, but she failed Daniel Tanner, Maya…. and even Phoenix Wright. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for perhaps the only time in her life she would be crushed by a guilty verdict...but before the forsaken word was uttered, something threw the courtroom into a screeching halt.

"HOLD IT!"

Franziska's head snapped upward at the voice. She couldn't place it, and she knew that the courtroom was empty aside from the counselors, the judge, the witnesses, and the defendant. Instinctively her gaze flew around the room and soon settled looking to her right, and Franziska was surprised to see that her co-counsel was suddenly a lot taller than she was just a few moments ago.

"It's... _you?_ " Franziska trailed off out of disbelief. She heard the tales about this woman, and she's even seen her once or twice in the courtroom at Phoenix's side… But Franziska never imagined Mia Fey would show up to assist _her_ of all people.

Mia turned towards Franziska, a little bit shocked, "How strange… Did I somehow end up on the wrong side of this courtroom...?"

Franziska weakly shook her head, swallowing harshly. Maya was a smart one, pulling out their final trump card at the last minute. "Long story…"

"...I won't ask." Mia sighed, quickly moving on, "But I have to say, I'm disappointed. I cannot believe that someone like you didn't notice it sooner. Here I thought you were a prodigy, and yet… The truth evades you still."

Furrowing her brow, Franziska shot Mia a glare, though it lacked the normal intensity to it, "Are you simply going to speak in cryptic messages all day and be a nuisance, or are you going to _help me?_ "

Mia shook her head, "You have to figure it out for yourself, but I will say this." She pointed to her temple, "You can't look inside the box for a solution. You have to find out who else other than Daniel Tanner would be involved with Mary Kay to kill Ireland. The only way you will find your answer it to turn your thinking about, Franziska."

Noticing the disruption to the verdict being announced, Mary Kay cut in, "Daniel was involved! No matter what you say, it's obvious that he did it! The light sees all!"

The judge slammed his gavel, "Ms. Boyd! If you continue to interrupt this courtroom, I'll have no choice but to hold you in contempt!"

At Mary Kay's outburst, Franziska's eyes shot wide in realization and the entirety of the trial ran through her mind. "'The light sees all…'" She repeated, and she immediately straightened herself out, "Ms. Boyd! Are you a follower of the House of the Eternal Light?"

"Of course!" Mary Kay scoffed, "The light's been my salvation ever since my relationship with Ireland went south! He's what keeps me going through my days!"

" _He's…_?" Franziska crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes, "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Jeffrey May, would you?"

Mary Kay went silent at that, merely clenching her jaw and cutting herself off from speaking any further.

A grin rose to Franziska's lips, "All's becoming clear to me now… I can only think of one thing that is left to be answered before the truth comes out…"

"The trial has already ended, Franziska." Miles interjected, "It's too late."

Turning her head towards Edgeworth, Franziska just shot him a baleful glance, "Hypocrisy doesn't compliment you, Miles Edgeworth. For someone who's been trying to ingrain in me that the role of a prosecutor is to uncover the truth, it's shameful that you would deny me of that very chance to show it in this courtroom." Franziska lifted her chin and sneered, "Or was everything you've told me just a lie?"

That seemed to submit Edgeworth into silence, and Franziska took that as her cue to press on, "Jeffrey May! I need to only know one thing… What color is your truck?"

"Ms. Wright!" The judge shouted, "Need I remind you that the cross-examinations of these witnesses are over!"

Franziska simply blew the judge off, "Answer me!"

"R-Red!" Jeffrey stammered.

Even though that was the answer Franziska wanted to hear, she still slammed her fist down on the defense's bench, "Am I surrounded by some lot of hypocrites today? Jeffrey May, you have some nerve to stand here today and let an innocent man be convicted of murder! A man who came to _your_ church to rehabilitate himself! A man who respected you! Have you forgotten the key element to your faith? The fact that 'the light sees all?' Don't consider it blind to you simply because of your standing! It still sees your sins!"

"Ms. Wright! That's enough!" The judge slammed his gavel.

Franziska finally abided by the judge's instructions and she quieted herself, but she still stared right down at Jeffrey May. His head was in his hands, and he was clearly conflicted about something. Franziska clenched her hand and waited, "Come on…" She said beneath her breath, "I'm so close…"

Mia looked between Franziska and Jeffrey, somewhat downtrodden, "Was it not enough after all? Was I too late?"

The judge shook his head, "Well, this has been delayed long enough…"

"W-WAIT!"

And then the judge hung his head, "And what disturbs these proceedings now?"

Jeffrey May stood up, nervously fiddling with his collar, "I-It was me! I killed Ireland Boyd!"

Franziska eased up a bit, crossing her arms, "Jeffrey May owns a red truck, which falls perfectly in line with Glenn Warner's testimony yesterday that a red truck was the one to lure Ireland Boyd to his death. This goes without mentioning that he has exhibited a strange obsession with Mary Kay Boyd from the beginning, and a deep loathing for the deceased. His motive lies with his relationship to Mary Kay Boyd… Jeffrey May disposed of Ireland Boyd so he and Mary Kay could be together in peace."

The judge still appeared on-edge from the constant disruptions, but he at least calmed himself enough to proceed, "Mr. May… Is this true?"

Jeffrey sighed, "Yes… I can hide it no longer. I cannot keep the truth from the light. I was the one who worked according to Mary Kay's plan… It wasn't Daniel."

Mary Kay shot up out of her seat, confronting Jeffrey, "You idiot! We were so close to getting away with it all! Why couldn't you have kept your mouth shut for five minutes longer?!"

"You heard the attorney!" Jeffrey countered, "I cannot keep things from the light! I cannot betray it and be taken by the darkness! I had to tell the truth!"

"Order!" The judge pounded his gavel again, "That's enough! Bailiffs, detain these two immediately!"

The court bailiffs then grabbed Jeffrey and Mary Kay and dragged them away, despite their resistance. Once the shouting faded and the doors to the courtroom closed, all eyes went back to the judge, who was rubbing his head.

"Well, I certainly never found this turn of events coming… Though it leaves me with no other choice. In the case of The People v. Daniel Tanner, the court finds the defendant…Not Guilty. Court is now adjourned." He pounded his gavel and immediately left for his chambers.

Franziska let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in. Finally, it was all over…

"I must say, Franziska… For someone who doesn't have an ounce of experience as a defense attorney, you did quite well." Mia smiled a bit, "I'm going to assume Phoenix got into trouble again. Was it another fiery bridge?"

Franziska shook her head, "No. His client from his previous case fled, and he left to chase the man down. I somehow got left with cleaning up after his mess."

"Typical Phoenix." Mia shook her head and let out an amused sigh, "Well, congratulations regardless. I bet it was no easy task for you." She grinned once more, "I'm sure Maya will be happy to hear the news, so I won't keep her waiting any longer. May we meet again...but hopefully, on the opposite side of this courtroom." Mia teased, her body illuminating in a white light.

Nodding, Franziska managed to get one last bit in before Mia left, "Thank you, Mia Fey…"

Suddenly the light vanished, and Maya was left standing where Mia last stood, and she was very unsteady on her feet. She nearly fell over, but Franziska caught Maya by the shoulders and steadied her. "What happened…?" Maya mumbled groggily, glancing around, "Did we win…?"

Franziska nodded, "We did. Daniel Tanner's a free man."

Despite her exhaustion, Maya still perked up at that and nearly bounced, "Yay! We did it!" And then she jumped forward, somehow having enough strength to nearly tackle Franziska in a hug, "I knew he was innocent!"

Franziska stumbled a bit, but she quickly regained her balance. She didn't exactly hug Maya back, but she was certainly less hostile than the last time Maya tried hugging her.

Maya picked up on that, and she recoiled away, "Oh… Right… No touching… And I guess you only care for your revenge, not the fact that Daniel was innocent, huh...?"

Lowering her head, Franziska clenched her jaw. Suddenly she remembered how Maya said that she would be there to listen if Franziska ever needed it, and Franziska found herself opening up if only a little, "It's...strange. Although I've worked for so long to defeat my brother… now that I have, I feel... _nothing._ "

Maya tilted her head, quirking a brow, "Not even just a little bit of smugness…?"

Franziska shook her head and sighed, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Huh…" Maya scratched her cheek, before remembering something, "Oh! I think I have something that can cheer you up! I left it in the defendant lobby. I wanted to give it to you once the trial was over, and hey! I guess that's now!"

Franziska furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and before she knew it, she was being dragged off into the defendant lobby. Once they were there, Maya kneeled on the couch and reached behind it, rummaging around for a bit before pulling something out, "Found it!" She exclaimed, and she walked over towards Franziska and held the strange item out to her, "Here! For you!"

Taking the item in hand, Franziska just glanced down at it, pursing her lips, "Some...newspapers?" For once in her life, she was trying to find a tactful way to respond, "...Ah. Maybe there's a good story in here. I understand now. Thank you."

Maya rolled her eyes playfully, "Nooo, Franzy! That's not the gift! I just used the newspapers to wrap it all. I don't really have fancy gift paper just lying around, y'know."

Franziska just nodded her head and started to unwrap the present. As she was doing that, Maya started to give a bit of explanation regarding the gift, "So… That night when you gave me money for dinner, I saw how much you gave me... Speaking of which, I want to come back to that later, because I have a feeling you really underestimate how much an American dollar is worth… But anyways, I thought I'd use it to get you something nice for all the trouble you went through to help us out."

At that point Franziska had finished unwrapping the gift, and she saw what was inside, "So…it's clothes?" She glanced up at Maya for an answer.

Maya nodded and clapped her hands together, "I felt bad about ruining all of your stuff during our investigation, so I went to Lordly Tailor to get you new ones! I saw Adrian Andrews there, and she helped me find something that would fit your style! She was really excited to help out." She leaned a bit closer, "She also told me to tell you to call her sometime so you two can make plans, or something."

Franziska raised her eyebrows when going over it all in her head, "Oh… That seems reasonable enou- _wait!_ You went to Lordly Tailor for all of this?!" Franziska's eyes widened, "But… But no matter how much money I gave you that night, there was no way you could buy even their cheapest outfit with it! How did you…?!"

Maya scratched her cheek and winced a bit, "Yeah… I found out how ridiculously expensive everything was when I walked in… Remember how I was unaccounted for that night for like, five hours? Yeah… I gambled with your money so I could get more to buy you the stuff… But hey! It worked! Adrian even helped me get a fifty percent discount because I lended them my village's urn for an exhibit!"

Franziska's shoulders slumped and she just stared at Maya in disbelief, "I...I'm speechless….And I can't tell if that's because of the fact you _gambled_ with _my_ money...or the fact that it actually paid off…"

Maya closed her eyes, grinning widely, "I'm taking that as a compliment. I'm really good at cards, apparently."

Shaking her head and composing herself, Franziska managed to force the slightest hint of a grin to her face, "You know...Even though you bought this with my money.. This may just be the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. So… Thank you, Maya."

"Aww, Franzy!" Maya exclaimed, "Using other people's money yet being completely lovable is kinda my thing...so it was nothing!" She held out her arms, but suddenly remembered something, "Right. No hugs. Got it. I'll just give you a thumbs-up."

Franziska pursed her lips before letting out a sigh and hastily averting her gaze to the side, "You have two seconds. Don't make it awkward, and you will never speak of this to anybody unless you want to taste my whip."

"Wow…" Maya laughed nervously, slowly taking Franziska in for a hug, "This is the most terrified I've ever been to hug someone before…"

"That's the entire point…" Franziska huffed, but she did at least hug back for a split second before pulling away.

At that instant, Daniel Tanner was led into the defendant room, and the grin on his face was gigantic, "I-I can't believe it! You two did it!"

Maya bounced and smiled in return, "I know! Franziska really pulled through for us, huh?"

Daniel looked over towards Franziska and nodded, scratching the back of his neck, "Yeah, for sure! Now that it's over, I gotta admit though… I didn't know if you were sold on me being innocent at first…"

Franziska shook her head, "That's nonsense. As a defense attorney, the only thing I can do is believe in my client's innocence… I knew I had to believe in you from the start, and I did. I saw your eyes when you told us about your brother… That was when I truly could not ever bring myself to doubt you."

Maya just grinned to herself and crossed her arms, "Now there's something I never thought I'd ever hear you say… Today's full of surprises, huh?"

Franziska rolled her eyes and huffed. Just when she was about to say something snappy in return, the doors to the lobby burst open, and in popped in someone clumsily.

"Did I miss it?! Please tell me we won!"

Maya's jaw dropped upon laying eyes on this visitor, and her eyes looked ready to pop out of her head, " _NICK?!_ "

Phoenix spun around, spotting Maya and the others, "Maya! What happened?! How did Edgeworth do?! He won, right?!"

Maya grinned a bit, sneaking a glance at Franziska, "Actually, Edgy lost. Badly."

"WHAAAAAAT?!" Phoenix shouted, taking his head in his hands, "Oh, man! I should've never left! What am I gonna say to Daniel Tanner?! He's gonna hate me… I ruined him!"

Daniel shook his head and laughed, "Hold your horses, Phoenix. Edgeworth may have lost, but that doesn't mean I did."

Phoenix's shoulders sagged, and there were beads of sweat gathering on his forehead, "...I don't get it. I left your defense in his hands!"

That managed to get a confused look out of Daniel, and he looked off at Franziska and weakly pointed her way, "Then why did…"

Franziska shook her head and crossed her arms, "Phoenix Wright. Your blind trust of my little brother nearly cost Daniel Tanner his life… It was reckless, and foolish. Your little plan was in shambles because Miles was the appointed prosecutor for this case." She smirked, "You're quite lucky that I came along and saved your case for you."

" _You_ were the defense?!" Phoenix looked like his heart was beating a thousand times a minute, "...Oh my god. Mr. Tanner. I'm so sorry!"

"Hey!" Franziska growled, "What's that supposed to mean, you fool?!"

"And what are you apologizing for?!" Daniel panicked, "She did great!"

"How many times did she whip you? Did she leave any scars? Please tell me you're okay!" Phoenix was shaking Daniel's shoulders incessantly at that point.

"...Whip me?" Daniel grimaced, shooting a look over at Franziska, "...My defense team was a bunch of lunatics… How am I alive…"

Franziska clenched her fist and bared her gritted teeth, "I'll have you know that my whip was confiscated, Phoenix Wright! I couldn't do anything, even if I wanted to!"

Maya wagged her finger, "Nuh-uh! You totally tried you use Miles' cravat as a stand in!"

"I thought you were on my side!" Franziska shot back, "Did these past few days mean nothing to you?!"

"...I'm so sorry! Please don't whip meeeeee!" Maya shrieked.

"OKAY, GUYS! I THINK WE SHOULD SETTLE DOWN!" Daniel finally shouted, looking pretty panicked and weirded out.

Once everyone calmed down a bit, Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck and flashed a sheepish grin, "Seriously, though… Thanks, Franziska. For everything. I couldn't live with myself if Daniel got convicted because of me."

"Well, I certainly did better in this case than you ever could." Franziska sighed, "How did the meeting with that one client of yours go? Did everything work out?"

Phoenix closed his eyes and laughed nervously, "Yeah… It's all good! It went better than I thought it would!"

Just when Franziska was about to nod as her response...something unimaginable happened. The color to her vision inverted, and suddenly chains shot out and wrapped around Phoenix, before three locks appeared on those chains. The breath was nearly knocked out of Franziska at the sight, and her eyes went wide and her lips fell slightly agape. She just stared at Phoenix in disbelief, unable to move, unable to say anything. It was the last place she expected to see those 'Psychic Locks,' but…

A hand at her wrist knocked her out of her thoughts, and Franziska looked behind her to see Miles, who she didn't even hear come in.

"A word, Franziska?" He asked quietly.

Franziska just swallowed, pushing what just happened to the back of her mind and shaking her head to fix her vision. She didn't say anything, she just walked with Miles out of the defendant lobby and turned to him once they were alone.

"Good work in there, Franziska." Miles said as a preface, "I'm impressed. Your knowledge and understanding of the law has changed considerably since the last I've seen of you. It looks as if your journey down this path is paying off." He grinned slightly, something that would be easily missed if Franziska wasn't so observant.

Franziska just crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, "Enough with the idle chatter, Miles. I know you're just stalling." Her expression took on a much more urgent and angered shade, "I demand to know what secret you've so dared to keep from me since this trial began!"

Miles sighed, "Business as always with you, I see… How should I put this…" He straightened his back and closed his eyes in thought, "I received the most curious letter a few days ago– one on the topic of you, Franziska."

"And?" Franziska raised an eyebrow, tapping her foot, "Why should I care?"

"It was from someone who was interested in meeting you, and they came to me first because they knew I was closest to you and…well, they considered me more _approachable_ , it seems." Miles explained.

Franziska only rolled her eyes, "If it's another suitor, then I'm not interested. You of all people should know that."

Miles let out a defeated sigh, "It's not a suitor, Franziska. The person who wishes to meet you is someone named Amelia…Amelia von Karma."

That snapped Franziska into finally paying attention; her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and her mouth slightly parted, "No… That can't be right…"

"Franziska…" Miles's voice was lowered into one barely above a whisper.

Franziska clenched her jaw and swallowed. She knew the only way that she could possibly be related to this mysterious woman, but she couldn't accept that possibility as reality…at least until Miles cemented it and made it impossible to ignore.

"…You have a sister."


	9. Turnabout Workout: Part 1

The initial shock from the revelation was enough to force Franziska into utter silence for a few long moments. Normally she was quick-witted- able to shoot right back in a courtroom without skipping a beat...but this time, she couldn't muster a word for the longest time.

"That's…" Franziska said weakly, gaze strong yet containing an air of timidness to it, "That's not possible… I would know if I did! This has to be some kind of hoax!"

Miles's brow creased out of sympathy, "I thought it was too, but I did some investigations...and nothing strikes as false." There was a beat of pause, "...Tell me, Franziska. What is your earliest memory?"

Franziska raised her shoulders and glanced off to the side. Placing a hand on her cheek, she scrunched her nose and groaned. This was starting to get oddly sentimental for her tastes, "...The only memories I can recall that early on are ones with you."

Miles cracked the slightest hint of a grin at that, but it soon vanished, "You weren't even three years old yet when I met you. With what I gathered about Amelia, she left the von Karma estate in 2000, when she was 16 years old. You couldn't possibly remember her. You were too young."

Shaking her head, Franziska crossed her arms stubbornly, "I still can't believe it. Why would Papa not tell me anything about a sister?"

"Because she didn't follow his 'perfect plan' for her." Miles explained, "She abandoned her law studies to become a doctor instead. I'm assuming Manfred didn't speak of her because he viewed her as a disgrace to the family name for failing to become a prosecutor in his footsteps."

Franziska scoffed offhandedly and furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, immediately shoving Phoenix's attorney badge and magatama towards Miles before stepping to circle around him and head straight for the doors out of the courthouse, "I have no sister."

"Franziska, please…" Miles sighed, relieved when his plea got Franziska to at least stop walking away, "I do not ask much of you, and I only want but one thing… Just give her a chance. If you still choose to think that way afterwards, then do as you wish...but at least meet with her once."

Franziska peered at Miles over her shoulder, her annoyed glare softening for a brief moment as if she was pondering it over before she stormed off again, "Tell her we meet at the Carnago downtown at noon on Thursday, and she best not be late!"

She didn't even look back to see Miles' reaction before she stepped outside. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, though she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a number, raising it to her ear. The other line answered soon enough, and Franziska wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

"It's Franziska. What do you say to dinner tomorrow night?" And despite everything that happened that day, Franziska found herself smiling, even if it was just a bit.

* * *

Back at the offices later that evening, Maya was sprawled out on the couch eating ramen and watching Steel Samurai on the TV. Phoenix was catching up on some work, but he managed to notice that Maya was being quieter than usual. It wasn't that she was caught up in the show that caused her to be so silent, because she'd normally give commentary as she watched. Phoenix sensed something was off.

"...Maya." Phoenix stated, just staring at her with a blank look.

Maya pressed a finger to her lips, "Shhh! It's getting to the best part!"

Phoenix frowned, folding his hands on his desk and staring at them, defeated. He waited for a few moments, and eventually Maya groaned and paused the TV, "What do you want?"

"...I feel ignored." Phoenix said.

Maya just lifted her chin, "Good. It's working."

"'It's working…?'" Phoenix repeated, tilting his head, "Did you pick this up from von Karma?"

Maya crossed her arms and glanced to the side, "...Maybe."

Phoenix let out a sigh, "What did I do?" He figured that it was his fault.

"Are you serious?" Maya asked, furrowing her eyebrows, "It's obvious. You left me."

"I'm sorry, Maya." Phoenix frowned, "I didn't think it would be safe for you. He was hostile, and I didn't want to put you in danger by bringing you along."

"But we're a team, Nick!" Maya clutched her hand to her chest, "It doesn't matter if it's dangerous or not, we do it together! I'm sure one angry college student wouldn't be as dangerous as half the stuff we've done up until now! We've faced actual assassins! Not much can top that!"

Phoenix lowered his gaze in defeat. Maya had a point, and he couldn't fight her on that, "I know. I acted rashly, like an idiot. Hopefully I've sorted everything out, however...so this won't happen again."

Maya relaxed slightly to that, and she turned back to the TV, "As long as you know you're an idiot..."

"Trust me, I do…" Phoenix sighed. Maya went back to ignoring him again, so he fished through his pockets and looked at his wallet, "...Wanna go get some burgers?"

Maya cautiously turned his way, "...Is this a way for you to get back on my good side again?"

Phoenix blinked, "...Is it working?"

"...Yes. Let's go!" And Maya looked to be her regular old cheery self, nearly jumping off of the couch and bouncing the entire way to the door.

Phoenix smiled a bit at finally getting through to her, but once she had already out the door, he let himself exhale a sigh and hang his head. His wallet was going to hate him…

* * *

Back at the prosecutor's offices, Miles was seated on his couch, enjoying a freshly-made cup of tea as he read some files over. As per the rules of the universe, his peace was destined to be disturbed, which came to fruition by Gumshoe bursting in through the door. Miles merely closed his eyes and lowered his cup onto the saucer. He'd grown too used to it to be disturbed by it.

"Sir!" Gumshoe was regaining his breath from running over, but there was still a smile on his face, "I got updates on Detective Rice's status, like you asked!"

"And?" Miles said simply, turning a page over in his files.

Gumshoe visibly perked up and he was grinning widely, "He's been reassigned to the fraud division. Kinda ironic, huh? But still, it means he won't be threatening the integrity of crime scenes anymore!"

Miles nodded, "And his salary?"

"Ha, I've been told it makes mine look decent!" Gumshoe laughed, "And you know that I can't afford anything off mine!"

Letting out a passive sigh, Miles set the files aside, "I must say, I never thought the day would come where I found a detective who's worse at his job than you."

"H-Hey pal! Come on!" Gumshoe flashed with anger for a moment, but soon he just sighed and hung his shoulders, "I've been working on being better…"

"I'll be the judge of that, Detective." Miles said, reaching out for his tea again.

It was then that Gumshoe noticed the papers resting at Edgeworth's side, and he raised an eyebrow, "What are those for? Is it another case?"

Miles turned his head and looked down at the file for a moment, not speaking a word. It wasn't a casefile, but instead a profile of someone. It was a fairly young woman who had long, wavy blue hair, and for a photo taken at the DMV, she was smiling quite brightly. This jogged a particularly lengthy train of thought in Edgeworth's mind, and it took Gumshoe speaking up again for Edgeworth to snap out of it.

"Uh…" Gumshoe began cautiously, "...Sir?"

"Hmm?" Miles shook his head in realization, pushing the thoughts out of his mind, "Ahh.. I'm sorry. It's not about a case, but… I don't think _she'd_ appreciate it if word got out over it."

Gumshoe nodded once, "Got it!" He said quickly, but soon his mind caught up with everything, "...Wait. I'm lost, pal."

"For now, I think that's for the best." Miles sighed, "Who knows, I may just be wrong in my assumptions, but for now… I think it'd be best to wait."

"...Yessir!" Gumshoe raised his hand in a salute, "Well, I'll leave you to it!" With that, he left, leaving Miles on his own.

In the safety of solitude, Miles glanced over the profile he held once again. In fact, he was in the possession of more than one, and he then moved onto a different profile. This one was much smaller, and only contained a few basic facts. The name read 'Rolande Schaffer,' and taking a look at the age presented on the profile...Miles felt his ease just slip away.

"Oh, dear…" Miles muttered, a stark number 9 burned into his eyes, "She is _not_ going to enjoy that…"

* * *

It was around seven o'clock the next day, and Franziska's dinner plans were already in full swing.

Franziska set her fork down and grinned smugly, a low chuckle to her words, "And then I told him, 'We wouldn't want the courtroom to turn into a child's playground with everyone shouting, now would we?'" She said proudly, obviously boasting.

"Nuh-uh… You so didn't!"

"I so did." Franziska wagged her finger, "You'd be surprised how easy some people make it, Adrian Andrews. Sometimes you just get the perfect setup."

Adrian covered her hand with her mouth, "And you said this in _court?_ "

Franziska just nodded, "I'm almost upset there were no spectators to bear witness to it… But as long as my brother saw...I suppose that's enough for me."

"I'm sure he knows better than to underestimate you! And that Rice guy too!" Adrian exclaimed, "Wow… I still can't believe you played defense for an entire trial… Was it hard?"

"Oh, unbelievably so." Franziska rolled her eyes with a sigh, though she was quick to catch herself, "...But I never admitted that, if anyone asks."

Adrian nodded. She knew the drill by now, "I'll just say it was a piece of cake, then. Although… I'm not sure who would be asking _me_ about that case…" She trailed off, pursing her lips and looking off to the side.

Letting out a sigh, Franziska lowered her gaze and drummed her fingers on the table, "I… Sorry. I just don't like it when people know my weaknesses."

"You know…" Adrian said softly, glancing over Franziska, "You don't have to act so strong around me. It can't be good for you if you keep internalizing your problems."

Franziska pursed her lips, "This whole 'turning your life around' endeavor has got me on edge… I have no idea how I can keep doing this."

"It's hard, isn't it?" Adrian reached out for Franziska's hand on the table, and while Franziska did flinch at the touch, she didn't pull away, "But it's not impossible. It just takes a while. Sometimes you have to talk it out too. You were there for me when I was going through it… so let me be there for you in return."

Franziska frowned, but her gaze was still soft as it focused on Adrian. She nodded slowly and picked her fork back up and went back to eating her salad. She didn't say anything else, and Adrian knew better than to press.

A few moments later, her gaze still trained on her food, Franziska threw all caution to the wind and figured she might as well open up a bit, "I received the _strangest_ news the other day… Actually, it's why I requested to meet you for dinner." She finally glanced up, and her expression went blank seeing that Adrian's focus was completely plastered on one of the restaurant's TVs. Franziska let out a sigh and dropped her fork, rubbing her eyes with a single hand, "I suppose that's what I get for trying…"

Adrian's eyebrows furrowed and she found herself mumbling, "No way…" Her eyes widened a bit, "I know that girl…"

Unable to help her curiosity, Franziska looked over at the TV as well, reading the breaking news update. "A woman accused of murdering her husband, hmm? Well, I can't say that's anything new."

Adrian glanced between the TV and Franziska for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut and sighing, "Sorry… I lost focus. I didn't mean to blow you off. What were you saying?"

"No, no. Not now." Franziska shook her head sternly, "How do you know that woman?"

"I-... She's my fitness instructor." Adrian explained, "She's the one behind that whole 'Exer' style of exercise? You know, the DVD set that you see advertised if you watch those infomercials at like, two in the morning? She teaches classes every Tuesday and Thursday. I go to every one."

"'Exer,' huh?" Franziska tapped her chin and raised her eyebrows, "Can't say I've experienced it. Is it like pilates, or…?"

"It's like Zumba." Adrian tilted her head, glancing upward in thought, "Actually… Exer is just Zumba rebranded…"

Franziska looked even more confused, "Zum...ba?"

Adrian blinked a few times in surprise, and then she just stared Franziska down, "Oh, Franzy… We're going to have to go to a class. This just won't do."

"I...Alright." Franziska didn't have the energy to protest.

"Anyways…" Adrian shook her head, trying to get back on topic, "What was that you were talking about earlier? I'm sorry I wasn't listening… I promise I am now!"

Franziska just waved Adrian off, "Don't worry about it. I can assure you I would be distracted if I saw Miles on the news for getting arrested. Distracted...but not surprised, really. I think I'm the only one left in the city who _hasn't_ been suspected of murder…"

"That's because everyone's too afraid to call you a murderer." Adrian grinned a bit, "...Heeey! You're trying to change the subject!"

"Perceptive…" Franziska smirked, resting her elbow on the table and resting her head in her hand, "Have you ever considered being a detective, Adrian? You're already much better than Scruffy."

Adrian shook her head, "Can't say that I have… Hey! You're doing it again!"

Lightly pounding the table with her fist, Franziska just leaned back in her chair, defeated, "Dammit. It normally works the second time, too... I'm getting rusty…"

"Franziska, please…" Adrian's shoulders sagged, "The sooner you say it, the sooner I'll stop asking about it. I promise I won't drag it out."

Franziska sighed, finally letting up, "I have a sister, allegedly. One I somehow didn't know about."

Somehow, Adrian's glassed got all skewed and she was clenching her napkin to her chest, "You-... What?! A _sister?!_ "

"I know. I reacted similarly." Franziska paused, glancing Adrian over, "Though not as comically, I must say…"

Adrian straightened out her glasses and set her napkin down, clearing her throat, "Lemme try that again… You really have a sister?"

Franziska just nodded, "Allegedly. I still don't quite believe it myself. I'm meeting her on Thursday… That's why I insisted we meet before then."

"Do you need my help?" Adrian asked hesitantly, "Is that why you wanted to see me?"

Suddenly Franziska felt like she worded that wrong, "That's not the _only_ reason why...but it is why I wanted to see you _immediately_." She pursed her lips and stared at the ground, "I...I don't know what I should do, Adri. What are you _supposed_ to do when faced with a long lost sibling? It doesn't happen to everyone."

"To be fair, I don't think I've heard of it outside of fiction, either…" Adrian said pensively, though Franziska's ensuing glare caused her to rethink sharing that, "I-I mean… Yeah, it's a little unusual… but it's got to be a little bit exciting, right…? Another sibling! Maybe this one won't irritate you as much as Mr. Edgeworth does!"

"He does get on my nerves…" Franziska said in agreement, "...But what do I even say to her?"

After a moment's pause, Adrian finally pieced together some sort of helpful advice, "Okay, I'll be honest. This has got to be the weirdest thing ever for you, right? Because it means you missed something. And you hate overlooking things. But...I'm sure it won't be that bad! I'm sure if you just be yourself and be nice, everything won't turn out disastrously. I'm...fairly certain." She smiled widely afterwards to seem confident in her advice.

"'Be myself and be nice…?'" Franziska repeated, cringing at the thought, "Adri. You should know by now I cannot do both at the same time."

Adrian sighed and hung her head, "...Then be nice, Franzy. And don't whip her! At least...not yet. Let her get accustomed to you before you show her how mean and aggressive you are…like you did with me!" While it was somewhat of an insult, it was obvious that Adrian was joking, especially with that grin on her face.

Franziska grinned a bit at that, but she shuffled a bit in her chair, "...I'm not _that_ mean to _you,_ at least…"

"No. I certainly get it better than everyone else." Adrian closed her eyes and hummed, "You must just really like me then."

"You're...not as annoying as everyone else, I'll say that." Franziska admitted. She looked down at her plate and saw that it was nearly empty, and she saw the same with her drink, "I think I'm done here. Are you?"

"Yeah, looks like it." Adrian sighed contently, "Besides, there's something I should be getting to soon."

Franziska looked at the bill on the table and then back at Adrian, who raised her hands up and shook her head, "I paid last time."

Sighing, Franziska rummaged through her purse and got out the money to pay the tab, "Between you and Maya Fey, I've been covering for a _lot_ of dinner tabs…but at least you eat like a regular human and not a family of five."

Adrian let out a nervous laugh, "Thank...you?"

"It wasn't a compliment, but it wasn't an insult for _you_ either." Franziska stood with a sigh, glancing back down at Adrian, "Let me take you home."

"Huh?" Adrian asked as she stood, but the words sunk in after a second, "Oh, no… That's fine, really. It's a short walk back to my apartment, and it's nice out. I think I'll just walk home."

Franziska's brow creased in confusion, but she quickly schooled her features, "If that's what you'd like, then alright." She held out her arms, "I'll see you sometime soon."

"Of course, Franzy!" Adrian grinned widely and hugged her goodbye, "I have to take you to a Zumba class! I will drag you there if I have to!"

"Somehow I don't doubt that." Franziska let herself let out a slight laugh at that, "Goodbye, Adri."

"Bye, Franziska." Adrian watched as Franziska walked out, and once let to herself, Adrian just let out a sigh. Her gaze went back to the TV she was so caught up in earlier, and she saw the breaking news segment that caught her eye scroll across the bottom. She clenched her jaw and pulled a card out of her purse, glancing at the address on the back side. Before she knew it, she was out on the sidewalk, and heading in the completely opposite way of her apartment.

* * *

A knock at the door suddenly jolted Phoenix and Maya out of their Steel Samurai marathon, and quickly Maya set her food on the table and rushed to answer the door, "I got it!"

Maya skidded to a halt in front of the door and opened it, and she positively beamed upon seeing who it was on the other side, "Adrian!"

"Hey, Maya." Adrian smiled, "It's good to see you again!"

"Come in!" Maya stepped aside and gestured to the room she was in, "Excuse the, uh...well, everything. We haven't cleaned in….awhile. Yeah. That's the least incriminating way of saying it."

Adrian laughed a bit as she stepped inside and rested her hand on her cheek, "It's fine, really… I don't mind. Where's Phoenix?"

"Over here!" Phoenix stuck his hand in the air and waved. He was laying down, so it was hard to see him over the couch. He got the hint and sat up, hair slightly mussed, and he looked over at Adrian, "It's been awhile, huh?"

"It has, Phoenix." Adrian's smile faded, "...I'm sorry we couldn't have met again on brighter terms."

Phoenix furrowed his brow, and he stood up and walked around so he could face Adrian, "What do you mean?"

"I need your help." Adrian said sternly, clenching her jaw tightly.

"Why?" Phoenix tilted his head, "Did you get arrested or something?"

"Come on, Nick!" Maya growled, "If she were arrested, would she be here?!"

Smiling nervously, Phoenix scratched the back of his neck, "Ah, yeah… I guess that's true, huh?"

Adrian didn't look amused in the slightest, though that didn't mean she was annoyed by the slight sidetrack, "Please, Phoenix…"

"I'm sorry." Phoenix mirrored the serious air Adrian was giving off, "How can I help?"

"A friend of mine was arrested...and I saw on the news that no lawyer in town was interested in her case." Adrian sighed and lowered her gaze to the ground, "I was hoping you might talk to her and see if you could help. I really doubt she did anything wrong… Oh, and she's rich! So this may be a client that actually...you know...pays you."

Phoenix grinned a bit, if only to try and reassure Adrian, "While I am completely broke, I don't need to be persuaded by money to help out. I'm not that kind of attorney. I would've helped out anyways, because that's what friends are for, right?"

"But we'll totally take that money, though!" Maya chimed in, grinning all the while.

Adrian let herself smile at that, and she let out a soft laugh, "Thank you...both of you. I know you can win this."

"So…" Phoenix tilted his head, "Who is it that we should talk to?"

"Her name is Erin Chisholm." Adrian stated, "She's the one who created that 'Exer' workout program."

"Wait…" Maya tapped her chin in thought, "Is that the DVD set that I see advertised whenever I wind up watching infomercials at 3 in the morning?"

"Exactly!" Adrian exclaimed.

Phoenix looked surprised that Maya knew that, "...Just...why do you even know of that?"

Maya swayed back and forth uneasily, "...You don't have On Demand and sometimes I get bored when we're stuck here late…"

"...Fair enough." Phoenix shrugged, turning back to Adrian, "We'll talk to her in the morning. Don't worry."

Adrian looked relieved, "Thank you so much, Phoenix. If there's any way I can help out, just let me know. I'm certain she didn't do it. She's never said a bad thing about her husband! I don't know why everyone thinks she killed him!"

"We'll get to the bottom of it. That's our thing!" Maya gleamed, "We got this!"

Phoenix nodded, "It's getting late. You should head back home for the night and we can get started in the morning. Since you know Ms. Chisholm, it might be best if you tag along when we go to the Detention Center tomorrow." Suddenly he grimaced after realizing something, "...If you're comfortable in going back there, that is!"

Adrian looked appreciative of his worry for her, but she didn't mind, "It's fine. If it's to help someone else, I'll go back. That's actually pretty smart."

"Alright. We'll head down at eight." Phoenix said.

"Uhhh… I'm staying up late tonight. I'm not getting up that early." Maya cut in.

Phoenix deflated, "...We'll head down at ten." He paused and looked over at Maya, and he got no objection so he looked back at Adrian, "Ten."

Adrian nodded, "I'll meet you there. Thanks again, Phoenix."

"Helping out people in a bind… that's just what we do!" Phoenix smiled.

Maya stifled a laugh, "That's so cheesy…"

Adrian looked to be suppressing a smile too, "...It kind of was."

Phoenix sighed and fully slumped over, "I don't know why I even try anymore…"


	10. Turnabout Workout: Part 2

"What do you think Mrs. Chisholm is like?" Maya asked on the walk down to the Detention Center, "I mean, she's gotta be real nice if Adrian would come to us to defend this gal…"

"I guess we'll see, Maya." Phoenix replied easily, "I brushed up on the case surrounding her, and apparently she's been accused of killing her husband. There's two key witnesses that paint her as the killer…" He sighed, "This may be a tough one."

Maya frowned, "But… We'll be fine, right? We can't let Adrian down like this! Or Mrs. Chisholm for that matter!"

Phoenix tried and grinned for her sake, "Come on, Maya. When haven't I somehow pulled a case off?"

Crossing her arms and looking off to the side, Maya just huffed, "Like...a week ago, dummy."

"..." Phoenix slumped over and cringed, "...Oh yeah."

Luckily enough for Phoenix, the Detention Center was just right ahead and Adrian was standing there waiting, so the conversation reached its end.

"Adrian!" Maya waved, getting the other girl's attention, "You're here early!"

Adrian glanced at the time on her phone, "...Actually, you're here late." She smiled a bit, "It's fine, though."

"In that case…" Phoenix coughed awkwardly, "Let's not waste any more time then."

Stepping into the Detention Center, the three of them were soon led to the visitation room, and somehow all three of them managed to squeeze into the small alcove together. It was tight, but they made it work. Soon a woman walked out, someone with striking blonde hair and who looked to be in her early to mid-thirties. She had taken the orange suit the inmates were given and tied the shirt so that it left her midriff exposed. Phoenix simply raised an eyebrow at this. Adrian laughed to herself.

"Did I mention she's also a bit of a fashionista?" Adrian pointed out, amused, "She has an athletic wear line that Lordly Tailor stocks. She calls it Fabuletics."

"I was excited until you mentioned Lordly Tailor." Maya sighed, hanging her head, "My wallet cried a little hearing that."

" _My_ wallet cried." Phoenix amended. Maya shrugged.

Erin Chisholm, who had since sat down during that conversation, just looked between the three of them and shook her head, "I get pulled out of a poker match for _this?_ "

Adrian knitted her eyebrows together, offended, "Hey! I'm here!"

Erin blinked a few times, smiling upon recognizing Adrian, "Oh, hey. Didn't see you there, Andrews. Who are these two weirdos with you?" She pointed to Phoenix and Maya, yet spoke of them like they weren't even there to hear her insults.

"Well, if you'll let them, they'll be your defense." Adrian smiled a bit, "I can vouch for their efficacy."

Glancing the two of them over, Erin just pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, "...Really? They're lawyers?"

" _Good_ lawyers, too!" Maya jumped in, fists clenched to her chest.

Erin let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead with a hand, "Well, I suppose weird lawyers are better than none… Alright, fine. You're hired."

Phoenix nodded, "Glad that's out of the way. What can you tell us about the day when your husband died?"

"I don't know much." Erin admitted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, "I walked in the house to see his body. I looked to check to see if he was still breathing or I could stop the bleeding, or just do _something…_ And that's when Liza saw me over his body. She's painted me as his killer ever since."

"Liza?" Phoenix asked, not knowing the name.

"My step-daughter." Erin explained, "She was from Alan's first marriage. She's twenty-two, but she's home on spring break from college."

Taking his chin in his hand, Phoenix thought things over in his head for a moment, "And you hold to it that your husband was dead before you came home?"

"Yes." Erin nodded.

"Then is there any chance you have an alibi during the timeframe of the actual murder?" He then asked.

Erin visibly tensed, and her features morphed into a glare. "I'm not telling." She growled, "It would ruin me...for good."

"And getting convicted of murder won't?" Maya shot back, confused.

Erin let out a huff and closed her eyes, "You wouldn't understand. If I must tell someone so you'd believe me that I didn't do it, I'll tell Andrews. She's the only one I trust to not spread it around."

"If that's all you'll be asking, Phoenix… Could you give me a moment with Erin, please?" Adrian requested, putting on a semblance of a grin to try and be reassuring, "Don't worry. I'll tell you if she's trustworthy or not. Just leave it to me."

Phoenix shot an unsure look Adrian's way, but he knew he could trust her, so he didn't argue, "Alright. We'll head to the crime scene and see what we can pick up there. I'll catch up with you later."

Adrian nodded and watched as Phoenix and Maya headed out. Slowly she turned her attention back to Erin, "How are you holding up?"

Erin furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head, "What, don't want to hear about my devastating alibi?"

"No, I do." Adrian shook her head, "But your husband just got murdered. That can't be easy for you."

Erin blinked a few times, visibly caught off-guard yet touched all the same, "Oh, wow… It hasn't settled in yet, really… It feels like a nightmare I just can't wake up from. Being trapped in here isn't helping."

"I bet." Adrian said, "But these guys are really good at what they do. Miracles are always on their side. They can help you get out of here, and then this nightmare will be over."

"I really didn't do it, Andrews." Erin said suddenly, gaze focused on the ground, "I loved Alan. I wouldn't hurt him. I just… I can't prove it! I'd be ruined if I did!"

"Erin…" Adrian looked a lot more serious then, jaw clenched tightly, "Where were you when Alan was murdered?"

Erin's shoulders sagged considerably and she groaned, ashamed, "I was...getting a procedure done."

Adrian tilted her head, "A procedure…? Like, plastic surgery, or something?"

"Lipo. I got lipo!" Erin frantically slammed her hands on the ledge below the window and leaned closer, "Can you see now why I can't use this as an alibi?! My reputation would be ruined, and everyone would think my fitness program is a sham!"

Adrian was silent for a long moment's pause, and Erin just sighed and slumped back in her chair. Eventually Adrian stood up, gaze trained on the ground.

"...You don't have to help me, Andrews. I know how pathetic I must seem right now, and how I must look like a fraud to you." Erin muttered, "I'll try my chances in court. Whatever happens, happens."

Shaking her head, Adrian sent a sympathetic look Erin's way, "I'll get you out of here. No matter what, you don't deserve to be in here. We'll find some way to prove you innocent without an alibi. I promise."

Erin nodded and stood up, and the guard came over to soon escort her back to her cell, "Thanks, Andrews…"

Adrian forced a quick grin before she eventually exited the Detention Center and walked out onto the sidewalk outside. She exhaled a relieved sigh to be out of there, and she then pulled her phone and scrolled through her contact list. Adrian dialed Phoenix's number and then held the phone to her ear, waiting for him to pick up.

"So?" Phoenix's voice rang on the other line, "What did she say?"

"She wasn't lying when she said that word of the alibi leaking out would ruin her." Adrian said simply, "I know she isn't lying, Phoenix. I know she didn't do it. We'll just have to carry on as if she doesn't have an alibi. It can't be as hard as some of your other cases, can it?"

There was a pause on the other line. Adrian was dreading the answer, but she could already tell what it was going to shape up to be like.

"It's not going to be an easy one, I'll say that." Phoenix sighed, "There's two key witnesses stacked against her, implicating her as the killer. Without an alibi, it's going to be hard disproving them in court."

Adrian pressed her lips into a thin line and let out a heavy exhale, "Who are these witnesses? What could they possibly be saying?"

"The first one is the stepdaughter, Liza." Phoenix responded, "But you heard about her already. The second one is a character witness...who claims he's been having an affair with Mrs. Chisholm. He says that they were going to run away together with Mrs. Chisholm with her husband's money. The prosecution is going to use him to establish motive."

"But...but Erin's rich!" Adrian exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock and confusion, "Why would she need to steal her husband's money to make off with some random guy? She's got her own money!"

"Good point… I might be able to use that in my cross. I'm just afraid of the counter-argument where he may say that she killed her husband so they could be together instead…" There was a beat of pause, "Though, that could be speculation...which would put a dent in his credibility… Has anyone told you that you're pretty perceptive for someone who's not a lawyer, Adrian?"

Adrian smiled a bit at that and she let out a short laugh, "Yes, actually. Except she compared me to a detective instead."

"Thanks for helping us out, Adrian." Phoenix said, "I'll let you know if I need anything else from you."

"Got it." Adrian snuck a glance at the time on her phone screen, "My shift starts soon, but don't hesitate to call me about anything you need."

"Noted. See ya." And then there was a beep.

Adrian let out a sigh, sparing one last look at the Detention Center before sliding her phone into her pocket and walking off.

* * *

They honestly should have expected it, but the second that Phoenix and Maya stepped onto Mrs. Chisholm's property, they were greeted by a very excitable detective.

"Hey, pal!" Gumshoe shouted at Phoenix, huffing angrily, "Where the heck have you been?! I had to deal with Ms. von Karma the entire time you were gone! And she's not a happy customer to Gumshoe's Evidence Sharing Business!"

"Where have I been?!" Phoenix shot back, "Oh, just in trouble. Nothing new. What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing my job, pal! I don't up and leave and ditch my work when everyone needs me!" Gumshoe was definitely a bit offended, "And after that last case with Rice, I'm one of the only detectives left on homicide now!"

Phoenix turned to Maya slowly, eyebrow raised; he figured it was from something he missed while off in Maine. Maya just shrugged, "Long story. He was a jerk though, so consider yourself lucky you didn't have to deal with him. Gumshoe's better anyways!"

Gumshoe calmed a bit at that, "He wasn't the nicest guy to work with, yeah. He insulted me a lot too, actually…" His shoulders slumped, "Except he didn't target my age like he did with you and Ms. von Karma."

"Ooo, but she got him good, though!" Maya snickered, jabbing Gumshoe in the arm, "You weren't there, but she totally burned him on the stand. It was funny. I bet she'd tell you all about it if you asked."

Gumshoe sighed, "I'm not asking, pal…"

Maya shrugged her shoulders easily, "Fair enough. So how's the investigation going, pal?"

"Honestly?" Gumshoe began, placing a hand on his hip and using the other one to scratch his neck, "Not good. We barely got anything from the scene… We can't even find the murder weapon."

"Well, Detective…" A voice from elsewhere said wryly, "That could simply be because you're as perceptive as a brick wall. Who knows what all you could've missed."

Phoenix looked over towards the source of the voice, spotting Edgeworth stepping out of the house, "Edgeworth…"

"Wright." Miles nodded in his direction, "Are you here trying to suck information out of my subordinates?"

"Whaaat?" Phoenix laughed nervously, "Me? Not in the slightest!" He pointed at Maya, "She is."

Maya stomped her foot, "What?! Don't you pin this on me!"

Miles simply crossed his arms as he watched the two bicker before him, "Don't worry, Maya. I don't think it was you."

"Thank you, Edgy." Maya said as she glared at Phoenix the entire time, "At least _someone_ believes me."

Phoenix mirrored Maya's glare tenfold, and soon Miles grew fed up with it all and instead moved on, "Wright, I believe I have a few things for you…" He pulled out the attorney's badge and the magatama from his pockets, "I suppose you might need these in the future."

Slipping the magatama into his pants pocket and pinning the badge to the lapel of his suit, Phoenix sent Miles an appreciative nod, "Thank you. I guess I can't really work without those, huh?"

"I personally do not see why you must rely on a mystical object to spot lies instead of your own intuition, but I figure that's the only way you could ever spot them in the first place." Miles sighed.

Comical sweatdrops slipped down Phoenix's head, "Low blow, Edgeworth. Low blow…"

Miles spared a glance at his phone and let out a slight hum, "Well, I'm afraid I'm being called away by Ms. von Karma. I'll see you around, Wright. Bring your best case to court tomorrow."

Watching as Edgeworth left, Maya just pursed her lips and crossed her arms, whispering over at Gumshoe, "Does he enjoy just ominously popping up, insulting everyone, and then leaving like he's some mysterious mystery guy?"

Gumshoe just nodded, "Really looks like it, pal."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head at that, and eventually he just turned to Maya at a loss for what else to do, "Let's just… Crime scene. Yeah. That."

As soon as they stepped foot into the house, they noticed the white tape right in front of their feet. Phoenix stepped around it and took a look at the door. It seemed as if Alan had been killed right after stepping through the door. Looking around the setup of the room, Phoenix also noticed that the staircase to the second floor was a couple feet away from the door as well. He made sure to make note of the entire crime scene in his notebook, but otherwise, he didn't really find anything new that the detectives haven't found. It was discouraging, really. If he couldn't find any groundbreaking evidence implicating someone else as the killer, that meant he had to rely on attacking witness testimony to acquit Mrs. Chisholm. Already this was a spectacular start to his case.

With no leads, Phoenix and Maya headed off to interview the man who Mrs. Chisholm was allegedly having an affair with. The defense wasn't the only side having problems; the prosecution wasn't having a smooth investigation, especially with the lead prosecutor having been pulled away in the middle of checking a crime scene.

* * *

When Miles knocked on the door, he barely got in two raps of his knuckles before the door was swung right open with a very agitated Franziska on the other side. Her hair was completely unkempt, she was still in her nightgown even though it was well past noon, and her eyes were shot wide in either a caffeine high or anger...and honestly, it really could've been both at once. It was times like these that made Miles remember just how Franziska really was; she looked a lot smaller without heels or her puffy business attire.

"I've been waiting half an hour, Miles." Franziska growled, "You should know better than to keep me- or any lady, for that matter -waiting! But especially _me!_ "

Miles let out a sigh. This was going to be a difficult conversation… "I came as quickly as I could, Franziska. I was investigating a crime scene. It didn't help you wouldn't tell me why you wanted to see me, either. I didn't know how important it was."

Stepping aside to let Miles in, Franziska let out an annoyed groan, "Since when do I ever ask to see you?! The fact that I had should've tipped you off to that this was quite important!"

"I see your point, however…" Miles crossed his arms once he was inside, and he just looked down at Franziska with a curious expression, "I still fail to see _what_ is so important. Why couldn't it have waited until I was finished with my investigation?"

There was a bit of pause, and Franziska pursed her lips and placed her hands on her waist, "...What case was the investigation for?"

Miles furrowed his brow, unable to see the relevance of such a question, "...The murder of a famous fitness instructor's husband."

"Ah…" Franziska hummed, "The one that Adrian Andrews was so interested in… She's never going to forgive you if you convict that woman, you know…"

"Franziska." Miles said, disappointed, "You're doing that thing you do whenever you have to talk about your feelings- when you always try to change the subject. You _asked_ me here… Why are you still dancing around it all?"

Franziska snapped her fingers and stomped her foot in defeat, "I'm losing my edge! That's the second time I've been caught! I blame all these strange feelings… They're tripping me up lately."

Miles let out another sigh, guiding Franziska over to her couch and sitting down. "Franziska, please… Just tell me what it is. The quicker you say it, the quicker it's over with, and the sooner I can leave you alone. You mentioned something about having 'feelings…' Is that the problem you've been having?"

Crossing her arms, Franziska plopped down on the couch beside Edgeworth and pulled her legs in close to her chest, "Of _course_ it's those feelings… _He_ only told us about the Three A's: anger, arrogance, and avarice… Ever since that incident seven years ago, more and more have been piling on on top of those three, and I have no idea what to do with them…"

That incident seven years ago in the courthouse… Miles knew it came as a wakeup call for Franziska about the real world. It definitely wasn't easy for either of them after that case, especially since they were both nearly shot by that thief…

Franziska soon hung her head and let out a sigh, continuing on, "...The 'sister' thing hasn't helped one bit with that emotion nonsense. In fact, it's probably made it worse. I'm meeting with her tomorrow and I'm a huge mess…"

"Oh… You're...not a mess…!" Miles said, lying right through his teeth to try and be comforting.

Franziska saw right through it and narrowed her eyes, "I'll prove it. What time is it now?"

Miles looked at his watch, "1:30."

Letting out a wry laugh, Franziska shook her head, "I woke up an hour ago. Me. The morning person of the family."

"My word…" Miles grimaced, "You _are_ a mess!"

"Watch your mouth!" Franziska growled, though quickly losing her bite, "But… You're right… I can't keep myself together." She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees, letting out a defeated groan, "I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. If I can't get my head sorted out by then, I'm going to blow it."

Miles was silent for a moment, trying to draft up some sort of response in his head. Eventually he placed a hand on her shoulder, and even though Franziska cringed at the contact, she loosened up and eventually leaned back in. "You can't rush these sorts of things. If you truly want to have your entire dilemma solved by tomorrow, let me just tell you now that you _will_ fail at that. It takes time, Franziska. You don't have to have everything sorted out right now. Who knows… Maybe even meeting with Amelia can help you with everything. She had to unlearn everything Manfred taught her too, remember?"

Franziska sighed and lifted her chin, resting it on her knees. She huffed, blowing a portion of her bangs out of her face. She was silent for a while, prompting Miles to speak up again.

"Pull yourself together, Franziska." Miles said, grabbing a brush on the coffee table left there from when Franziska first tried to make herself look presentable and handing it back to her, "I know you aren't yourself when you're not dressed up. I'm sure you'll feel better when you look less like a hot mess and more like the Franziska we all know and-" Miles caught himself. Not many people could say they loved Franziska, so that put a dent in his plan, "-...know."

"I'm offended." Franziska grumbled as she snatched the brush from Miles, "There are at least two people in this world who like me. I'm not even counting all of my unwanted admirers."

"I know one of them is me…" Miles looked at his fingers, trying to count, "...Who's that one other person?"

"Adrian Andrews!" Franziska snapped, "She's my best friend!"

Miles raised his eyebrows, shrugging, "You call her something different every week. I never know what she is to you."

Franziska huffed, averting her gaze away hurriedly, "It's complicated!" Suddenly she glanced back over at Miles, eyes narrowed a glare, "I invited you over to _help_ me… What is the meaning of you attacking me in my own home like this?!"

"Sometimes it's fun." Miles admitted, and he pushed himself off the couch to his feet, "Well, if that's all… I should get back to the case. Feel free to call me if you still need me."

Nodding slightly, Franziska started to brush out her frizzy, crazy hair, but soon enough her brush got stuck, and completely unable to deal with it, Franziska just let out a groan and slapped her hands to her face. Miles stopped himself nearly instantly and spun around back towards Franziska. He couldn't leave her like that. Franziska barely worried about her hair. It had to be bad if she was that hung up about it.

He looked over Franziska's hair for a moment, and he reached out for some of it just to see how tangled it was, "My word, Franziska… How did it get this bad?"

Franziska shook her head hopelessly, hands muffling her voice, "I don't know…! It just happened!"

Miles sat back down again, and gently he tried to remove the brush from Franziska's hair, "...The case can wait for a little while longer. Let me see if I can help with these dastardly knots in the meantime..."

Hearing a muffled, low voice come from Franziska, Miles stopped trying to work with her hair and he sent a confused look her way, "What was that?"

"...Thank you…" Franziska stammered, doing everything in her power to keep her face out of view, "Don't...Don't make me say it again!"

Miles smiled a bit at that, amused. "I don't know… Can I get that in writing? It's not every day the mighty Franziska says such a thing, especially towards her little brother…"

Franziska groaned, shaking her head, "I'm never talking to you again, Miles Edgeworth… Ever."

"Sure, Franziska… Sure…"


	11. Turnabout Workout: Part 3

This day in court was going to be an utter nightmare. Phoenix had nearly nothing on his side going in, so the only sliver of hope he had to get an acquittal was to debunk everything on the fly in the middle of the trial. That was not a very uplifting fact. It took every ounce of strength inside of him to pretend as if everything was fine, when it was in fact not very fine. It also felt strange having a 12:30 trial time when it was normally always a 10:00 one. It was a bad omen of many bad omens to come.

Mrs. Chisholm was guided into the defendant lobby by the bailiffs, and immediately she made herself comfortable on the couch and looked over her nails. She snuck a quick glance of Phoenix as she did so, pursing her lips by the sight, "Someone looks a little on edge…" She mused, still focused on her nails.

Phoenix looked around a bit before pointing at himself nervously, "What...me? Pfft, nah! I'm completely fine! We got this trial under control! We're perfectly alright!"

Erin narrowed her eyes, unable to believe that Phoenix legitimately thought he could convince her of that, "You are quite persuasive… I can only imagine how you perform out there in that courtroom. Let's just say I need to become more acquainted with my cell, because at this rate, that's where I'm going to be spending the rest of my life…"

"Erin…" Adrian cut in, crossing her arms with a sorrowful expression, "He's dug his way out of deeper holes before. You just have to give him a chance."

Letting out a deep sigh, Erin just nodded, "Fine, fine… Here's your chance, Mr. Wright. Hopefully you don't mess it up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" Phoenix grumbled, comical rivulets of sweat dripping down his forehead.

Maya shook her head in disapproval, "Man, you really shouldn't mess this one up."

"I _know,_ Maya." Phoenix sighed, "I'm gonna be doing my best. Sometimes a little faith can go a long way in these cases… Hint, hint." He glared over towards Erin, who just teasingly shrugged and shook her head.

Adrian placed her hand on Phoenix's shoulder, "If anything, _I_ believe in you, Phoenix."

" _Thank you,_ Adrian." Phoenix straightened himself out and pulled at the lapels of his suit jacket in a pout, "At least someone here believes in me. It's one against three."

Adrian pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in thought as she glanced around the room, "How… How did you get those numbers?"

Phoenix leaned closer with a hand covering his mouth from view, "Because you're the only one believing in me right now… Not even I believe in me…"

Looking more than concerned, Adrian looked between Erin and Phoenix, biting her lip, "Is there anything I can do…?"

"The first witness slated to go up is Gumshoe, who I can normally disprove easily." Phoenix said, staring at the ceiling in thought, "I know nothing about the character witness who's allegedly having an affair with Mrs. Chisholm."

"I am _not_ into that guy, by the way." Erin jumped into the conversation, raising her hand.

Phoenix nodded, returning his gaze to Adrian, "Could you check out the guy who Mrs. Chisholm definitely is not into for me? He should be in the prosecution's lobby getting prepped by Edgeworth."

Nodding resolutely, Adrian clenched her fists together, "I'm on it! I'll find out everything there is about this guy! I'm good at reading people like that!"

"Good. I'll call for a recess after Gumshoe's testimony so you can fill me in. I'm counting on you." Phoenix said. Right on cue, the bailiffs came in to escort the party into the courtroom so the proceedings could start.

Adrian left the defendant lobby and walked around the main hall for a little while, and soon she spotted the doors to the hallway leading into the prosecution's side of the courthouse. There were two hulky bailiffs standing guard, and immediately Adrian gulped nervously. Praying that they were only there to keep suspicious people out, Adrian walked up to the doors and tried to get inside, but the two bailiffs slid in front of the double doors, blocking her from entering.

"Certification, please." The right bailiff said.

Adrian's shoulders sagged, and she looked between the two of them in a panic, "...Er...what?!"

"A police badge, prosecution badge, something." The left bailiff said, "Only those affiliated with the prosecution are allowed in."

"Could you…" Adrian nervously dragged her foot in circles, "Could you make an exception just this once? Please?"

Both bailiffs shook their heads. Adrian sighed in defeat, and she made a straight line for the courthouse doors. She walked outside and immediately pulled out her phone, dialing a number. She hoped Phoenix was having better luck than she was…

* * *

"The prosecution calls Detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand." Miles stated, and the aforementioned man stepped right up to the witness stand as usual.

Phoenix and Maya had received a copy of the autopsy report that was submitted into the court during opening statements, so Phoenix instructed Maya to read and memorize every little fact inside while he focused on Gumshoe's testimony. They were entirely winging it at that point. There was no preparation whatsoever.

The older, grayer judge was assigned to the case, thank god, and he instructed Gumshoe to begin, "Your testimony, please."

"You got it, pal!" Gumshoe said excitedly, riled up to go, "The defendant had been planning to kill her husband for a while, and that day when she stepped into the mansion, she pulled out a gun and shot him seconds after stepping foot inside! There was a single bullet that went straight through his chest, which was the fatal blow. The murder weapon was well stashed by the defendant. We couldn't find anything at the house."

"What a pathetic note to end on…" Miles muttered beneath his breath. Luckily, it wasn't really noticed by anyone.

Maya shoved the autopsy report at Phoenix, complete with underlined and circled portions and some annotations on the side. Looking it over, Phoenix saw that she had made note of anything that contradicted with Gumshoe's testimony, and… well, there was a lot…

"The defense may begin with its cross examination of the witness." The judge instructed.

Phoenix nodded, taking one last look over the autopsy report before focusing on Gumshoe.

"So, you claim that the killer shot Alan Rodgers right after stepping inside?" Phoenix asked.

Gumshoe nodded, "Yeah!"

"Then why is it that the body was found only a foot or so in front of the door? Wouldn't the killer have to be standing there?"

"Mrs. Chisholm was found holding Mr. Rodgers near the door! It's obvious that she caught him after shooting him at close-range!"

Phoenix shook his head, "There were no burn marks found around the gunshot wound, according to the autopsy report." He slammed his hands down on the bench, "So it's impossible that Mr. Rodgers was shot at close-range!"

Gumshoe grew agitated at that, breathing growing heavy from the adrenaline, "B-But-!"

Phoenix didn't give him the chance to continue, "And you stated that the bullet went 'straight through his chest..' but the autopsy report states that the bullet entered through the chest and exited through the lower back! That meant that the killer had to have shot from on top of the staircase, so my client couldn't have shot Mr. Rodgers upon stepping in through the door!"

"Ngh…!" It was Edgeworth's turn to be shocked, dark circles forming around his eyes as he leaned down on the bench.

Arching an eyebrow in confusion, Phoenix just stared at Miles incredulously, "...You couldn't have _not_ known that… Just a single glance at the autopsy report would've told you all about it! Unless…" Phoenix gasped, "You didn't read it, did you?!"

"I…" Miles clenched his fist, obviously at a loss for words, "I did not have much time last night to look it over… I had to deal with a family crisis for most of the day yesterday…"

Phoenix was nearly frozen from shock at that point. Both sides were so egregiously underprepared? This case was a disaster already...and it was about to get worse.

"Don't worry, Mr. Edgeworth! I'll save this one!" Gumshoe butted in, "Let me testify again!"

"My god…" Edgeworth muttered, "This case is doomed…"

Phoenix placed his hands on his hips proudly, "I do not object to additional testimony!"

"That's because it will help you make your case…!" Miles spat.

"Ex-xactly!" Phoenix grinned.

"...Okay." The judge said, "You may testify again, Detective Gumshoe."

"Well, just because the gunshot came inside the house doesn't mean that it wasn't Mrs. Chisholm who killed Mr. Rodgers! She easily could've ran up the stairs and then shoot him because she wasn't sure about doing it yet! That works too! Yeah!"

The entire courtroom just went silent at that. Gumshoe lost all of his momentum and eventually just scratched the back of his neck with a defeated look on his face.

It was Phoenix who broke the silence after a long moment's pause, and he looked up at the judge, "Your Honor… Could we have a thirty-minute recess?"

"...Yes." The judge sighed, "Yes, you may. Court will reconvene in thirty minutes." And he slammed his gavel.

Immediately when the trial was put on hold, Phoenix pulled out his phone and dialed Adrian, hoping that there was some good news to this whole mess.

"...Phoenix. Heeeey…" Adrian said weakly on the other line.

Phoenix's expression dropped, "...That doesn't sound too good."

"So, slight problem…" Adrian laughed uneasily, "Apparently I need to work for the prosecution to be allowed inside their side of the courthouse… But don't worry! I called backup. I just need more time, Phoenix! I'm sorry!"

Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose, "I got a thirty-minute recess… Do you think you could be done in that amount of time?"

"Honestly…? Not really. I have to wait for backup to arrive, and it might be a while… Can't you stall during the trial?" Adrian perked up, "Remember those good points I thought up yesterday? Can you use those to buy for time until I get back to you? I'll text Maya when I find something!"

"I'll see what I can do. This case has been a mess on both sides. Who knows...this could actually be pulled off." Phoenix sounded a bit more confident, "That works. Good luck, Adrian. We're counting on you."

"Yikes…" Adrian said, "That's a lot of pressure…"

"...Sorry." Phoenix sighed, "...Wait. Who's your backup?"

Adrian took a while to respond, obviously weighing the consequences of telling, "...She promised me not to tell. I'm sure you'll find out soon. I had to pull her out of an important lunch event for this...her only condition was that her involvement be kept a secret...especially from you, Phoenix."

Phoenix clenched his jaw. He didn't like it, but he wouldn't fight his only shot, either, "...Alright. Good luck to you and this mystery woman. I'll find out everything about the stepdaughter that I can."

"Got it. I'll check in later." And then there was a beep.

Phoenix sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The stress was too much already, and the trial just started.

* * *

At another part of the city well before the disastrous trial of Erin Chisholm started, Franziska had her fated meeting with the mystery von Karma. Some sentimental side of her decided that she'd wear that outfit given to her by Maya, since she didn't exactly want to meet this woman in court clothing. Part of Franziska wanted to impress Amelia von Karma, as if it were a competition over who the best von Karma was. She looked at her reflection, making sure her hair wasn't a mess and that her scarf was tied around her neck neatly. Franziska also looked around before adjusting her leather pants- god, it's been forever since she wore pants -and she straightened out her tank top. Keeping her blazer jacket loosely hanging off of her shoulders, Franziska finally deemed her appearance acceptable before leaving and making her way toward the Carnago nearby.

When she arrived, Franziska realized that she really had no clue what Amelia looked like. Looking around she hoped that _maybe_ she could someone with blue hair, as that seemed to be a common family trait. Luckily she spotted a woman around the age she was looking for with bluish hair, so Franziska just prayed that she got the right person and walked over towards that table, heels clacking loudly against the tile floor as she made her way over.

The woman heard Franziska approaching and she lifted her head, grinning a bit once laying eyes on Franziska, "You must be…"

"Yes, yes." Franziska let out a long breath once she reached the table, placing her hand on her hip and glancing the other woman over, "So… you're the mysterious Amelia von Karma… Hmm."

"Well…" Amelia began, scratching her cheek. She spoke in accented English, German presumably being her preferred language, "It's actually Amelia _Schaffer…_ I took up my husband's last name when I got married."

Franziska simply raised an eyebrow, but otherwise there was no change to her neutral expression. So, her sister didn't even keep the von Karma name? That was a tough pill to swallow… "I see… Any other new family of I should know about, Mrs. Schaffer?"

Amelia grinned a bit, motioning towards the seat across from her, "Please… Call me Amelia or Amy. And sit down with me."

Franziska did as she was told, and she placed her jacket around the back of the chair and adjusted the straps to her top. "And your answer?"

"I do have a daughter, Rolande." Amelia said, "She's nine now. And, er…" She tapped her chin, "Does the family dog count? His name's Phoenix."

Franziska instantly cringed at that, but she did her best to school her features, "...Ah. What an...interesting name for a dog."

"I'm...sorry? Did I say something wrong?" Amelia's expression fell.

Franziska shook her head, "No, no… It's just… Phoenix is just someone who I work with that's very…" A lot of choice words rolled through her head, but none of them would make for a very good impression with her sister…

"Is he your…?" Amelia asked hesitantly, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Oh, _god_ no! Please, Amelia… I have standards." Franziska placed her hand to her chest, "He's not my type, either. My type doesn't tend to be 'bumbling fool…'"

"Ah…" Amelia laughed a bit at that, "My mistake. He sounds...interesting. You said you knew him from work?"

Franziska nearly wanted to slam her head into the table. The last thing she wanted to her sister about was _him_ … "Yes. He's a defense attorney I have had the displeasure of facing against numerous times. I despise him."

Amelia laughed again, covering her mouth, "You're quite blunt, Franziska… It seems to still run in the family… as does being a prosecutor, I see."

"Me and my brother didn't really have much choice in the matter." Franziska sighed, "Nor did we have the guts to disobey Father as you had…"

"Ah… Yes, that…" Amelia coughed, gaze falling downward, "It wasn't an easy decision. It certainly wasn't easy to forget everything he tried to teach me, either…"

Franziska raised her eyebrows and placed her elbow on the table, resting her head against her fist, "I'm in a similar situation myself lately, would you have it… It turns out Father's teachings were contributing to the corruption in the prosecution's office… I can see that now. It still doesn't mean it's simple to forget literally everything you've been told your entire life."

"It does get better, you know." Amelia said weakly, trying to force a smile, "Once I started doing things for myself instead of him, I felt a lot happier. Everything got better from then on out. I met my husband, and then I got my dream job, and then I had my beautiful child… All of that awaits you once you get things sorted out."

Narrowing her eyes, Franziska just started to glance over her nails before drumming them against the table, "Forgive me, but those things don't sound appealing in the slightest for someone like me. I couldn't imagine having a husband and kids."

"Well…" Amelia sighed, "You'll find something that does sound appealing. But it will still get better and easier as time goes on."

Franziska cleared her throat, obviously a bit uncomfortable, "Could we talk about something less dull? I didn't necessarily come out here to talk about my feelings."

"Of course." Amelia forced a smile, trying to think of other topics, "Do you… have any hobbies? Friends?"

Eyes widening, Franziska almost wanted to go back to the feelings conversation. That was almost easier. She looked at her hand, trying to count on her fingers all of her friends, "Aside from family, I have… maybe...two, three close friends?" She added the 'close' in there, because it was far less incriminating than just saying she had two friends, "And as for hobbies, erm…" Franziska swallowed; she didn't really do anything other than destroy people in court. Suddenly she remembered something that she could say, and she just went with that, "...I take a fitness class every Tuesday and Thursday. It's called Exer."

"Exer…?" Amelia tilted her head, "What's that?"

Franziska leaned a bit closer, "It's kind of like Zumba, I suppose."

Amelia nodded, "Ah… Fun."

It fell awkwardly silent after that, and Franziska prayed for something to happen so that it wasn't such a strange, heavy air. Fortunately, something _did_ happen, and her phone suddenly rang. Except… Franziska forgot that she gave that person a specific ringtone, and her phone was suddenly blaring '13 Years Hard Time for Love.' Franziska never wanted her life to end more than she did in that very moment.

Amelia blinked a few times, "Is… Is that…?" She started to smile at the ringtone.

"S-Shut up…" Franziska muttered, pulling out her phone, "Pardon me…" Answering it, Franziska tried to steady her voice from how flustered it was earlier, "...What is it, Adrian?" After hearing Adrian's story, Franziska looked at Amelia in a panic before glancing off to the side, "Adri, you know I'm busy… Yes, I'm with her… What do you mean you need to spy on the prosecution's case?! ...Fine. I'll help… Yes, I _do_ know I'm amazing, though I love it whenever people tell me that… You wound me, Adrian. I'll be down in a few minutes. Don't get yourself kicked out, you hear me? ...Good. See you shortly."

She hung up and looked over towards Amelia who had a knowing grin on her face, "My apologies, but something just came up and my friend needs my help-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand. Go help your friend do whatever dubiously legal things they need you to do." Amelia was nearly laughing at that point.

Franziska shuffled uncomfortably in her chair, "I mean, it's definitely not illegal, but it's certainly a foolish move… Besides, it's my brother's case. It's fine." She stood up and grabbed her jacket, though Amelia then tried to stop her.

"W-Wait, Franziska… Just a moment before you go…" Amelia cleared her throat and tried to put on a hopeful smile, "Would you consider trying this again sometime? When your brother doesn't need one of his cases sabotaged?"

"Well, I'd sabotage a case of his any chance I get, but…" Franziska shot a hint of a grin back, "I'm sure I could make that work."

"Thank you, Franziska." Amelia tilted her head, a devious expression now on her face, "Besides, I can't let you go off scot-free when I just found out you're a closet fan of the Gavinners…"

Franziska instantly recoiled at that, a wince on her features, "Dear god… This cruelty runs in the family…!"

"Oh, it sure does." Amelia snickered, "Run along, little one… Any second longer you stay, I _will_ start teasing you…"

Franziska bolted as quickly as her heels could take her, and she made a note to herself to change. that. blasted. ringtone.

* * *

The second Franziska stepped into the courthouse, she was spotted by Adrian, who ran up to her side immediately.

"Thank god you're here! The bailiffs wouldn't let me in! I need to spy on this one witness!" Adrian said, clinging to Franziska's arm.

Franziska quirked a brow teasingly as she continued walking, not even taking a beat of pause, "Yes, well, they do that so that people don't try and do that very thing you're doing."

"Well… it's for a good cause!" Adrian protested with a huff.

Unable to help herself, Franziska grinned at that, "Is this for that case with the fitness instructor?"

"Yeah!" Adrian nodded, "Phoenix kind of needs me to spy on this one witness who says he's been having an affair with Mrs. Chisholm… He's a bit...well, very underprepared."

"Typical."

Adrian laughed nervously at that, "Yeah, I suppose it is… Do you think you could help me out in trying to get a read on this guy?"

"Well, I made the trip over." Franziska sighed, fishing through her purse to get her badge out, "I might as well make it more worthwhile than just flashing a badge at a bunch of guards."

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?" Adrian let out a relieved sigh, grinning widely.

Franziska smirked, "Yeah, but you could stand to say it a few more times." When they reached the doors to the prosecutor's wing, Franziska simply held her badge up for the bailiffs to see, "She's with me." She said, pushing through the doors and stepping inside.

Adrian spared a final look at the bailiffs and laughed, feeling victorious in having beaten them. Once they were inside the prosecutor's wing, Adrian took a glance around, and down at the end of the hall, she could see a man standing at the vending machine, tapping his foot. "There! That's got to be him! Mr. Argitakos!"

Franziska took a better look at the man, and she instantly shook her head, "Him?"

"Yeah, him!" Adrian nodded.

Franziska crossed her arms, glancing between Adrian and Enrique Argitakos. She let out a simple sigh, still shaking her head slightly, "Well, I can say one thing for certain…"

Adrian tilted her head, a curious eyebrow raised, "And…?"

"That man is _not_ having an affair with Mrs. Chisholm."


	12. Turnabout Workout: Part 4

"That man is _not_ having an affair with Mrs. Chisholm."

Adrian blinked rapidly, shaking her head, "How can you be so sure?!"

Franziska clenched her jaw, "Honestly, Adri… Just look at him. Does he look like a man to sleep with a married woman?" She paused, continuing in a hesitant whisper, "Or _any_ woman?"

"Oh…" Adrian grew quiet, "You think he's…you know…"

Nodding, Franziska bit her lip, "I'm not one to assume too much about _that_ aspect of someone, but… this guy is a walking stereotype."

Adrian placed her hand near her chin, glancing between Enrique and Franziska uneasily, "How can we prove it, though? I mean, it's not like we can _ask_ him…"

"I can only think of one way, and it's not very dignified…" Franziska sighed, "…We'll have to see if we can make him be interested in us. If he _does_ like us, then we lose… But if he doesn't… That means that Mrs. Chisholm's so-called 'motive' isn't probable anymore."

There was a shocked moment of silence from Adrian, and eventually the words settled in for her and she just stared at Franziska with wide eyes, "Y-You're kidding! Is there something up with you?! The real Franziska would never resort to using her looks to prove a point!"

"Well, I have some disappointing news for you, Adrian Andrews…" Franziska said lowly, taking off her jacket and throwing it on a nearby bench, "Even _I_ don't know who the real Franziska is anymore. This could as well be who she is now."

Adrian grew quiet at that, still unable to believe it, "...I'm concerned."

Untucking her tank-top and rolling it up to show her midriff, Franziska just laughed lazily as she shook her head, "That makes two of us…" She mused before she straightened herself out and fixed her pants, "So, how do I look?"

"Like a high school flunk-out who just stumbled out of the pit section in a Gavinners concert." Adrian commented, raising her eyebrows, "This might actually work."

"Likewise." Franziska grinned a bit, "It's a plan I came up with." Her gaze floated about, looking for some sort of plan of action, and soon she spotted a water fountain, focusing on that, "…Here goes nothing."

Walking directly towards the water fountain, Franziska held her chin high yet maintained a careful view of Enrique. She couldn't help but smirk slightly to herself for her ingenious plan, but as soon as she got within a foot from the water fountain, she was so rudely cut off by Enrique himself. Outraged, Franziska placed her hands on her hips as she waited, and seeing as Enrique was taking an eternity, she started to tap her foot on the tile impatiently.

Enrique heard Franziska tapping her foot against the floor, and slowly he stood up after drinking and he slowly wiped his mouth, staring Franziska down balefully the entire time. "Don't stomp your little last-season Jimmy Choos at me, honey." He snarled in his accented English, spinning on his heel and walking off.

Franziska growled at that, shouting after Enrique as he walked away, "These aren't last season! I got them last week!"

"At what, Goodwill?" He shot back before breaking out into a laugh at his own joke.

Muttering something presumably profane in German, Franziska started after Enrique but Adrian managed to grab ahold of Franziska by wrapping her arms around Franziska's waist before she could lunge at him, "Don't attack the witness!"

Franziska fought against Adrian's hold, but eventually she gave up– though, that didn't mean her rageful scowl went away, "…I think that proves it. He knew which designer my shoes were _and_ he's got a mouth on him… God, if only I had my whip…"

Adrian grimaced at the thought of Franziska with a whip, and slowly she started to drag the other woman away, "…O-kay… Let's report back to Phoenix before somebody gets killed…"

"And just what do you two think you're doing?"

Franziska groaned at the voice, recognizing it instantly. She looked over to see Miles standing down the hall with Enrique at his side.

"That's them, Mr. Edgeworth. They were being quite annoying… Hmph." Enrique said, sending a smug smile towards the two girls.

"You have some nerve!" Franziska shouted, snarling, "How dare you snitch on me to my own brother!"

Enrique grinned wider at that, "Family, eh? Heh, well… I can say your brother got the looks in the family." He looked over at Edgeworth, quirking a brow.

"I'm adopted." Miles said simply, crossing his arms.

"That explains everything then…" Enrique snickered.

Miles let out a sigh, returning the focus to Franziska and Adrian, "Franziska… I thought you were at lunch with Amelia… And Adrian… You shouldn't be on this side the courthouse if you're supporting the defense. Should I be calling the bailiffs?"

Franziska shot a quick glance toward Adrian and whispered to her, "…Alright, on the count of three…we run." Seeing that Adrian nodded, Franziska continued, "One–"

Adrian had shot off at that point, leaving Franziska annoyed and in the dust.

"What are you doing?!" Franziska snapped.

Adrian was still running, "Getting a headstart!"

"GETTING A HEADSTART ON _ME?!_ "

At that point, Adrian wasn't sure if she was running to avoid Miles or Franziska. She headed straight toward the defendant lobby, spotting Phoenix, Maya, and Erin. Hopefully Franziska wouldn't be dumb enough to commit murder with that many witnesses. Franziska walked in a few moments later calmly, as if the past few minutes never happened.

"Franzy…?" Maya tilted her head at the sight, "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your case." Franziska placed her hand on her hip, smirking, "Why else would I be here?"

Phoenix's shoulders slumped, "…To destroy it, possibly?"

Franziska's eyes flicked over towards Phoenix and shot daggers at him. The anger she showed seemed to be beyond mere annoyance from such a quip from him, so it seemed as if there was something beneath the surface there.

Phoenix, noticing this sudden tension, cleared his throat awkwardly and continued on, "What did you two find?"

Franziska clenched her jaw shut tightly, something which Adrian picked up on, causing Adrian to answer instead, "There's no way Mr. Argitakos is having an affair with Erin."

Maya blinked rapidly, "How do you know?!"

Franziska looked over towards Maya, her expression turning less aggressive because Maya was someone she actually liked, "It's simple, really. He's gay."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Franziska looked around at all the shocked expressions she got, and she shook her head in disappointment, "Have you ever laid eyes on this man? If anyone abides perfectly to a stereotype, it's him. You should've known instantly. He even flirted with my little brother… I must crush him…"

Phoenix let out a pensive sigh, scratching the back of his neck while staring at the ground, "Well, if that's true… How on earth are we going to prove it?" When he was met with silence, he looked around, seeing that Franziska was blowing him off to instead look over her nails, "…Ms. von Karma. Ms. von Karma, I'm talking to you."

Seeing as Phoenix was having no luck with Franziska, Maya tried her hand at getting Franziska to speak, "...Franziska, do you have any idea how we're gonna prove that Enrique is a walking rainbow parade in court?"

Franziska quirked an eyebrow, averting her gaze from her nails to look at Maya, "Well, there's no way he'll admit it outright…at least, he wouldn't _purposefully._ Getting him to slip is the only way you can prove it in a court of law. Trust us, though… There's no way we're wrong about this." Franziska inhaled sharply, looking away bashfully, "...Besides. No one in the right mind would ever reject my advances, so it has to be true…"

Adrian placed her hand on Franziska's shoulder. Maya's jaw nearly hit the floor. At that moment, Erin finally inserted herself into the conversation, standing up from the couch and placing her hands on her hips, "You know what…" She said, nodding at Franziska in agreement, "He did leave a Cher CD at the pool one time. I see it now."

"See?" Franziska sent a hint of a smile Maya's way, "All you have to do is to get him to slip up, Maya. It's not impossible. A roundabout way of questioning is sure to do the trick."

Maya looked over towards Phoenix with an uneasy look on her face, but soon the bailiffs came in, signifying the end of the recess. Erin, Phoenix, and Maya left, leaving just Adrian and Franziska.

Adrian let out a bit of a sigh, and she kept her gaze mostly trained on the ground, "Thank you for busting us out of that one, Franziska… I know you hate aiding the defense, so I really appreciate it...for me and Erin's sake."

"I _do_ hate aiding the defense…" Franziska agreed, though she soon caught her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before she continued, " _But_ …if it's for you, I suppose I can suck it up."

Adrian smiled wide at that, "Thank you again." She took a moment's pause, an idea spurring in her mind, "Say… Do you want to watch the rest of the trial with me? I should be there for Erin, and since you're already here, I just thought…"

Franziska gave a wave of her hand, grinning a bit, "I'll watch. I can't exactly leave, anyways…" She glanced off towards the door Phoenix left by earlier, "…I don't trust him with this case. He's off his game. I don't want to see your friend convicted because of his foolishness. I'm not letting him out of my sight until I hear that 'not guilty' verdict."

There it was again with that strange grudge. Adrian just nodded slowly, thinking it best not to press on that topic. Instead she and Franziska just headed towards the viewing section of the courtroom.

* * *

"The prosecution may call its next witness." The judge stated.

Miles crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He had a feeling this was going to be one of those eccentric witnesses… "Bring him in…"

Enrique was led out to the witness stand, and there were whispers from mostly female observers in the public section of the court. The ladies were already taken by him…

"Honestly?" Maya whispered, scratching her cheek,"I don't know what everyone's going on about. He's not that great."

"Thank you for the commentary, Maya." Phoenix sighed as he shook his head.

Miles swallowed heavily, "…Will the witness state his name for the record?"

"Enrique." He said, voice suave and smooth, "But you can call me anything you'd like…" He topped it off with a suggestive eyebrow raised at Miles.

Maya's face fell into a deadpan, "Yup. Franziska was so right. I see it now."

"This is a joke." Phoenix said incredulously, "He can't possibly think he's convincing anyone here."

Enrique fixed his popped collar and low-cut shirt, enticing excited gasps from the female crowds.

Phoenix broke out in a sweat, hunching over, "…Dear god."

"Are those…" Maya leaned over the bench, narrowing her eyes, "…sequins on his shirt?"

"This is a mess. This is one big mess." Phoenix lowered his head into his hands.

Maya cringed the more she looked at Enrique, but she couldn't bring her eyes away, "…I think his chest is waxed."

The judge slammed his gavel to shut up the female masses, "Order! No fawning over the handsome witness!"

Phoenix groaned, "Not the judge too!"

"Witness," the judge carried on, "What can you testify to about this case?"

"The motive, of course." Enrique smirked devilishly, "You see, me and Erin were locked in a love affair after she stole my heart… We were planning to run away together."

"Lucky girl!"

"…Do you think he's single now?"

"I'm free at eight on Saturday, honey!"

From up in the viewing stand, Franziska shook her head as she looked around at the fawning women, "Seriously? I see nothing in him. Even if he was attractive, he drops from a ten to a solid zero once he opens his foolish mouth."

"Franziska, you think every man is a zero." Adrian laughed uneasily.

"That's not true." Franziska crossed her arms, "Scruffy gets a three for being so pathetic you can't help but give him a higher score out of pity."

Adrian pursed her lips, patting Franziska on the shoulder, "Because that's totally how the scale works."

Slamming his gavel yet again, the judge called court back into order, "Witness! Testify before these women start up again."

Enrique nodded easily, hands grabbing his collar, "Yes, Your Honor. It had to have been a year ago when I was first hired as the pool boy for Mr. Rodgers estate. I met Erin shortly thereafter. There was an instant spark, an unspoken attraction, a forbidden love… Soon those feelings became too much to bear and we went for it. As of late, she had been talking about running away together with Mr. Rodger's money… I thought nothing of it…that is, until the poor man was shot!" To end his testimony, he placed his hand on his forehead dramatically, causing yet another outburst from the women in the courtroom.

"He is lying straight through his teeth…" Phoenix sighed, clenching his fist.

"Rephrase that." Maya said in a deadpan, "Rephrase that right now."

Rolling his eyes, Phoenix then glanced up towards the judge for his cue.

"The defense may cross-examine the witness."

Phoenix nodded, moving around the bench, "Got it." He paused in the midst of the well, going over his questions in his head. He needed to get Enrique to slip, so he had to think of some sort of plan… "So, Mr. Argitakos… You claim that Mrs. Chisholm wished to run off with you with her husband's money, correct?"

"Yes. That is what I just said." Enrique placed his hand on his hip.

"I'm confused, though." Phoenix tapped his chin, "What you've said makes no sense. Mrs. Chisholm is rich in her own right because of her original fitness program. Why would she need to kill Mr. Rodgers to steal his money if she had her own?"

Enrique's confidence faltered, but he soon recovered, "It's obvious! She wanted to kill him so we could freely be together!"

"That's speculation, but whatever…" Phoenix let out a deep breath, switching topics, "This alleged affair with Mrs. Chisholm has been going on for…?"

"Five months."

"And your first name is…?"

"Enrique."

"And your boyfriend's name is…?"

"Chuck." Enrique said, smirk on his face. It wasn't until the entire viewing audience erupted with gasps and whispers did he realize what he just admitted to, "W-Wait!"

The judge sounded his gavel to shush the crowds, "Order! Witness, explain!"

"It's my English, I'm sorry!" Enrique said in a panic, though by slicking back his hair he regained his smooth style of speech, "I misunderstood. I thought you said best friend. Chuck is just a friend. Erin's the one who has my heart."

"You lying bastard!" A man in the viewing seats shouted, leaping out of his seat, which happened to be right next to Franziska's. He stormed out of the courtroom, leaving everyone to try and decipher what just happened.

"Well, that was fun…" Franziska snickered to herself, finger right below her chin.

Adrian smiled briefly, though her gaze flew over towards Erin in the defendant's chair. They were getting closer to proving her innocence…

The judge sighed, shaking his head, "Witness…you are dismissed."

Enrique looked worried, and he bolted out of the courtroom once being given the okay, shouting "CHUCK, WAIT!" the entire time.

Phoenix looked up at the judge, a proud grin on his face, "Seeing as the character witness to establish Mrs. Chisholm's motive has been disproven, I we're done here, Your Honor."

Edgeworth shook his head, a hint of a grin on his lips, "Do not forget, Wright, we have a witness who places Mrs. Chisholm at the scene of the crime. This trial isn't over quite yet."

Phoenix furrowed his brow, staring at Miles. Miles was right– they weren't done yet. Liza Rodgers still had yet to testify. Phoenix just hoped he could find a way to prove Mrs. Chisholm's innocence despite Liza…


	13. Turnabout Workout: Part 5

The first and foremost impression one could make off of Liza Rodgers would be her ginormous hair. It was frizzy, curly, and could easily weigh around 20 pounds with some of that hairspray. It was the most impressionable thing about her, and it certainly caught everyone's eye. For people like Franziska and Adrian, it wasn't exactly a quirk well-received.

Franziska scoffed at the sight of Liza being brought out by the bailiffs, her hand rested against her cheek, "Hmph… Someone should tell her that her style is thirty years too late. It's not the 80s anymore."

Adrian arched an eyebrow, smiling to herself, "It's certainly not a justified fashion choice…"

Meanwhile, some people less qualified in the fashion department were more so confused than judgmental.

Phoenix looked at her oddly– head tilted, eyes narrowed, and his mouth slightly agape, "Uhh… How does that even work…?"

"It's defying gravity!" Maya chimed in, mouth wide.

The judge was stroking his beard, closing his eyes, "I remember, back in the day… I too had hair like that."

"Have you tried curling your beard, Your Honor?" Maya grinned widely.

The judge's eyes went wide in realization, "No, I have not… Hmm. I guess I should!"

"Don't give him any ideas, Maya…" Phoenix muttered. Maya just shrugged with a sheepish grin on her face.

The court's discussion on hair was cut off by a large popping noise; their attention going back to Liza, it became obvious to the court that she was chewing bubblegum, and she looked less than pleased.

"Uh…" Liza grumbled, narrowing her eyes while obnoxiously chewing that gum, "Can we get to the part where I send Chissy to jail? I don't wanna be here."

"Understood." Miles cut in, "Your Honor, we'd like to begin with Ms. Rodger's testimony."

"Yes, of course!" The judge looked down at Liza, "The floor is yours!"

"Right…" Liza propped her elbow up on the witness stand and inspected her nails, "So… I'm home for spring break. I don't got my own place, so I'm staying with my dad and Chissy. I was in the shower that day, minding my own business, and when I got out and went downstairs… I found Chissy over my dad's body. That woman killed my dad. A blind man could see it. Can ya' lock her up now?"

Phoenix furrowed his brow, confused. Liza seemed detached from her words. In fact, it looked as if her priorities lied more in jailing Erin than getting justice for her father. Shaking his head, he looked up to the judge for his permission to move on.

"Defense." The judge nodded, "You're up."

Phoenix pondered a few things over in his head first, and then he asked the first sensical question that came to his mind, "Could you hear a gunshot before you found Mrs. Chisholm over the body?"

"No." Liza cracked her gum, "I told ya'. I was in the shower. I heard nothing."

"So, you can't say for sure if Mrs. Chisholm was the one who shot your father?"

"I know it was her." Liza growled, "I know she must've stashed the gun or something before I got out. She had time to."

"You didn't see the act itself though, did you?" Phoenix pressed harder.

Liza narrowed her eyes, shaking her head.

"So you really can't say for sure that Mrs. Chisholm was the killer!"

Edgeworth cut in at that point, "Your Honor, the defense is badgering the witness."

Phoenix sighed, sending a strange look Miles' way, "Come on… That's not true…"

"It _is_ true!" The judge said, "Mr. Wright, if you have nothing else to ask of the witness, then I must dismiss her and give my ruling."

For winging the entirety of the case, Phoenix's luck finally came up dry. For as much as he managed to disprove, it still wasn't anything definitive. Maybe he could just stall for more time to figure things out…

"Your Honor!" Phoenix suddenly shouted, a false grin on his face to try and fake confidence, "The defense requests additional testimony!"

"What?" The judge blinked, confused, "How come?"

"Reasons!" Phoenix said, still faking that confident voice, "Ms. Rodgers, would it be too much to ask if you could testify as to your actions that morning?"

"Kinda." Liza quirked a brow, and she looked over towards Miles, "Do I have to?"

"Humor him." Miles sighed, closing his eyes, "Trust me, he'll come up with nothing."

"I am standing right here!" Phoenix shot back, grimacing.

Miles looked his way, though his face was as blank as ever, "Exactly."

The judge looked around, a bit lost still, "Uhh… Okay. Ms. Rodgers, if you could please testify as to what you did that morning…?"

Letting out an agitated sigh, Liza rolled her eyes, "Fine. I woke up... I went to get a coffee... I got a perm… and then I went home and took a shower. That's it."

At that point, nearly everyone in the courtroom knew that Phoenix and subsequently Erin were screwed. Coffee? Perms? Showers? How is that going to give Phoenix the definitive evidence he needed?

In the viewing gallery, Franziska hung her head, hand resting on her forehead as she let out a heavy groan. Adrian, despite the circumstances, looked more pensive and torn about something. Leaning over the railing, she tried and whispered to Maya.

"Psst! Maya!" She whispered, looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to her.

Maya perked up at that and spun around, seeing Adrian up top, "Oh, hey Adrian!"

"Get Phoenix to ask if Liza's ever had a perm before…" Adrian said, eyes focused on Liza.

Shrugging, Maya thought that they had nothing better to ask so she obliged without any question, "Got it!" She tapped Phoenix's shoulder and cupped her hand around her mouth as she whispered the question to him.

Phoenix thought similarly on the fact that he had nothing better to ask, so he just popped the question like no big deal, "Ms. Rodgers, have you ever had a perm before?"

Liza furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but she answered without much of a second thought, "Yeah. About twice every year since I was 13. You do the math."

Adrian prodded Franziska with her elbow at that, coming up with a plan, "I need cover! Can you get the courtroom to be as loud as possible?"

Franziska grinned slightly at that and laughed, "Oh, I think I have something in mind…" Taking on a higher-pitched, stereotypical valley-girl accent, Franziska cupped her hand and shouted, "Wow, isn't this foolish defense lawyer such an idiot?!"

"Yeah, you're right!"

"What is he even trying to prove?"

"My cat could do better than him!"

And then the courtroom all joined in on insulting Phoenix, giving Adrian the opportunity she needed to talk to Maya more, "Maya!"

Maya, who admittedly was giggling at all of the insults, turned towards Adrian again, "Heehee… Yeah?"

"She's lying!" Adrian was grinning widely at that point, "There's no way she was in the shower if she got a perm a week ago and her curls are still intact today!"

Maya was a lot less amused and a lot more lost at that, "...Huh?"

Franziska leaned in upon hearing the conversation, mirroring Maya's confusion, "...I'm with her on this one."

Adrian turned towards Franziska, almost surprised yet still not losing that excited air of hers, "Come on! You should know the number one rule of getting a perm!"

Tilting her head, Franziska wasn't any less lost after that, "…Don't get one?"

"While that _is_ true…" Adrian laughed a bit, "You can't get your hair wet in the first 24 hours after getting it done! It messes up the chemicals and flattens your hair! You know the one… the thy-glate thing…?"

"Ammonium thioglycolate…?" Franziska offered hesitantly.

"That's it!" Adrian then turned to Maya, "Liza's lying!"

Maya still looked a little confused, but she nodded nonetheless, "…Could I get that in writing?"

Adrian nodded, taking her agenda she always carries around and ripping out an old page. She clicked a pen and stuck her tongue out in thought, but she didn't do anything. Slowly Adrian turned to Franziska, "…What was it again?"

Franziska narrowed her eyes and snatched the pen out of Adrian's hands, "Give me that…" Writing down the chemical name on the paper, she dropped it down for Maya, "There."

Maya squinted at the words on the paper, "…Is this German or something?"

"It's called cursive." Franziska leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

Knowing better than to fight back, Maya looked at the paper once more, slowly coming to being able to decipher it. At that point, the judge slammed on his gavel, bringing the noisy court back into silence.

"Now that that's taken care of…" The judge sighed, "Have you any more questions, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix sighed, shaking his head, "No–"

"I do!" Maya suddenly jumped up, waving the paper in her hands, "I have questions to ask the witness!"

"Oh!" The judge blinked out of surprise, "Mr. Wright's assistant! You have a line of questioning for the witness?"

"Yup!" Maya nodded gleefully.

"Is…" The judge stroked his beard, "Is that allowed…?"

Miles shrugged, "The prosecution has no objections to Miss Fey cross-examining the witness."

"The witness has an objection to Miss Fey cross-examining the witness!" Liza suddenly shouted.

The judge shook his head, "I'm afraid you're going to have to endure just a few more questions, Ms. Rodgers. My, I've never seen Miss Fey here in action before! I'm excited!"

"Aww, thank you, Your Honor!" Maya gleamed. She saw the strange look that Phoenix was giving her, but she didn't pay it much attention as she walked from out behind the bench to a few feet away from the witness stand.

Clearing her throat, Maya placed her hands on her hips and let out an easy sigh, "So, Ms. Rodgers… You're holding to the story that you went and got a perm the morning of the murder?"

"Yeah…"

"And that you were taking a shower during the time of the murder…?"

"Miss Fey–" The judge jumped in, "I'm sure you know what you're doing, but the witness has made it quite clear about her actions that day. No further questioning on that matter is needed."

"Oh, I know, Your Honor." Maya barely looked fazed, "I promise I got a point to all of this."

"Carry on, then. You're doing marvelously!" The judge smiled. He was so supportive.

Maya turned back to Liza, "You've stated before that you've gotten a perm numerous times already, so that wasn't your first… Surely you must know the most important rule of getting a perm then, right?"

Liza looked confused, so Maya just continued, "You know, the one where you can't wash your hair for 24 hours after the treatment or else you're at risk of affecting the…" Glancing down at the paper, Maya squinted her eyes, carrying on slowly, "…Animal…theological…"

"Ammonium thioglycolate." Adrian called from the stands.

"Of affecting the ammonium thioglycolate!" Maya carried on without skipping a beat, "I would think someone who's gotten a perm twice a year for, say… 15 years would know that, right?"

Liza's eyes were wide like she was a deer in the headlights. Maya still didn't let up yet; she tapped her chin and pursed her lips as she stood in front of the witness stand, "Your curls are still holding up well. I honestly doubt that you were in that shower after all, which meant you should've heard that gunshot! You would've seen Mrs. Chisholm try and stash the gun by that point! Isn't that right, Ms. Rodgers?"

"I-I…" Liza slammed her hands down on the stand in a panic, fear stricken all over her face, "I mean, how would you feel if your father married a girl your age?! She's only a few years older than I am! It's sickening!"

Maya's face dropped, mild shock written across her expression when she swallowed before speaking, "…Ms. Rodgers…did you kill your father?"

"I didn't mean to kill him! I thought it was _you_ walking through the door!" Liza snarled, pointing to Erin in the defendant's chair.

Erin audibly gasped and recoiled at the threat, visibly unsettled.

The judge pounded his gavel as a result, "Bailiffs! Escort the witness into custody!"

Maya turned towards Phoenix, having trouble to contain her giddiness until she exploded in a squeal and jumped up and down, "I did it! I found the murderer! I found the murderer!" At the sudden, judgmental eyes on her, Maya eventually settled down and ducked her head out of view, "I mean… wow. So sad…"

The judge cleared his throat, eyes closed, "Hmm… Miss Fey's first cross-examination and she discovered the true culprit… Dare I say beginner's luck or true talent? Either way, I believe the verdict is clear. In the case of The People vs. Erin Chisholm… the court finds the defendant Not Guilty. Court is adjourned." With a slam of his gavel, the judge ended one of the most underprepared cases of Phoenix's career.

Back in the defendant lobby, Erin was ecstatic to have been acquitted, "Andrews wasn't kidding! You two _are_ miracles! Wow!"

"I told you they were the best." Adrian smiled. Franziska let out a sort of a grunt from the couch at that, where she was laying down and checking her phone.

Erin grinned, but she quickly turned back to business and let out a bit of a sigh, placing her hands on her hips, "Well, since we won… I guess we have to work out that fee, huh? So, what's your base price?"

Maya looked at Phoenix, who was just frozen. "Uhh…" Phoenix winced, "I don't…"

"We don't ever actually get _paid_ for this stuff…" Maya scratched her teeth.

"Yeah, everyone normally skips out on the bill… So we've never had the need to make a base price…" Phoenix rubbed the back of his head, "How much _should_ we get?"

"You ask it, I'll give it." Erin crossed her arms.

Maya's eyes twinkled. Phoenix immediately covered Maya's mouth so she wouldn't try and list a ridiculous price, "...You know what, we'll get back to you on that one."

Shrugging, Erin just sighed, "Works for me."

At the dip in the conversation, Franziska stood up from the couch, making her way towards the doors of the lobby, "Well, the only thing worse than aiding the defense _once_ is aiding it _twice_ , so I've had enough of my fill for two lifetimes. I'm leaving before you somehow rope me into another mess." Once she opened the door, she sent one look back at the group before leaving, "It would be wise for you to thank Adrian for solving your case for you, Phoenix Wright. We both know that you couldn't have managed to save Mrs. Chisholm off of death's row yourself." With that, Franziska was gone.

Things were awkwardly silent at that point, Phoenix looking a bit guilty, and Adrian just sighed and shook her head, eyes still on the door, "I'm… I'll go talk to her." While Adrian walked to the door, she stopped by Phoenix's side and placed her hand on his arm, "Don't listen to her. You did great out there, and I appreciate everything you've done for me and Erin. Don't forget that."

"It's fine, but… Thank you, Adrian. I won't." Phoenix said, gaze focused on the floor for the most part.

In the main hall of the courthouse, Adrian managed to catch up with Franziska before she left, and she hurried down the stairs so she wouldn't miss her, "Franziska! Franziska, wait!"

Franziska stopped in her tracks, lowering her head with a sigh. She turned to face Adrian though, and her expression looked a tad inconvenienced, "…Yes, Adri?"

Once she was close enough, Adrian came to a standstill within arm's length of Franziska. She had to take a steadying breath, worked up over something, but she wasn't the type to explode at people, "What has gotten into you, Franziska? Why are you treating Phoenix like that?"

Narrowing her eyes but catching herself quickly enough, Franziska just tore her gaze away and clenched her jaw. She didn't want to be angry at her friend, "…It's not something you'd understand."

"What, because I'm not as smart or as gifted as you…?" Adrian let out a sigh, "You have to learn that sometimes, people are on your level. You need to believe that I can hold my own with you. I'm not stupid."

Franziska rubbed her forehead for a moment, looking back at Adrian apologetically, "Adrian– please… That's not what I meant. I'd never try and mock you like that… Maybe 'understand' was the wrong word… It's more like… you wouldn't _believe_ me…"

"I'll never trust you if you don't trust me with these things." Adrian's expression turned solemn, "Just tell me what's wrong."

"I _saw_ it, Adrian…" Franziska pointed toward the defendant lobby, "I saw him lying to me, locking the truth away. He can't be trusted… and an attorney that can't be trusted is one that doesn't deserve my respect. You have to believe me when I say he's harboring a dark secret."

Adrian looked doubtful, "How do you know you're right?"

Franziska bit her lip, "…An enchanted magatama from Kurain…but if nothing else, his body language and aversion of the topic help to make my point."

Adrian still appeared to have her concerns, but she at least looked a lot more understanding. She nodded, though she stayed silent otherwise.

Franziska sighed, focusing on the ground, "…I'm sorry, Adri."

Holding her arms open, Adrian relaxed slightly, "I get it. Just…either ignore him, or don't talk to him at all. This is getting vicious, even beyond your standards."

Franziska went in for the hug, though she ended up pursing her lips in disappointment, "…I'm going soft."

"Stop saying that like it's a bad thing." Adrian warned, but she couldn't help but smile.

"… _Fine_." Franziska pulled away, huffing. She knew that continuing to pout would result in more admonishment from Adrian, so she did her best to change the subject, "I should probably get around to rescheduling with Amelia in exchange for ditching her at lunch…"

"Oh!" Adrian scratched her cheek, "I'm…sorry about that. I didn't know what else to do."

"Oh, no. It was a godsend, really." Franziska grimaced, "…It was so horribly awkward. I needed saving."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, "…Really? Huh. Well, maybe I can meet her next time. I could probably make things next awkward."

"You know what?" Franziska grinned a bit, "Sounds like a good idea. But…before I forget… Find a different song for a ringtone. I can't have '13 Years Hard Time for Love' playing in front of people anymore."

Adrian laughed, "…Amelia knows, doesn't she?"

"She does." Franziska sighed, "I'm never going to hear the end of it, either."

Back in the defendant lobby, Erin was trying to change the mood following Franziska's little stint, and an idea popped into her mind.

"Hey, I know something we can do…" She grinned to herself, tapping her chin, "Come tomorrow night to my studio. Bring your friends. I'll have a free class, just for you guys."

"Class…?" Phoenix tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

"An Exer class, of course." Erin placed her hands on her hips, "Pretty ingenious, huh? Just come on over at 7. It'll be fun."

Phoenix nodded, not wanting to say no, "Alright. I'll bring Maya along."

"What?!" Maya clenched her fists, "I don't exercise! Who do you think I am?!"

"I'm definitely bringing Maya along." Phoenix grinned, "I'll find some others to bring along too."

"Good." Erin smirked, "I'll have you know, I'm the best for a reason. You're never gonna wanna stop after I'm through with you."

Phoenix's forehead became drenched with sweat, and he hunched over and spared a glance at Maya, "...Is that a threat? It feels like a threat."

Maya just shook her head, "I told you, Nick. This is what happens when you exercise. War happens."

"You better show up. I normally don't do these things for free." Erin pointed out.

Phoenix croaked, "I'll be there…!"

Erin nodded, "Good. Now, I'm off to enjoy my time as a free woman. I'll see you tomorrow, Phoenix." Winking, she walked out of the defendant lobby with ease.

Phoenix and Maya just let out a collective sigh at the hell they dragged themselves into somehow...


	14. Inescapable Turnabout: Part 1

It was 6:50pm the next day, and Phoenix could not have been stalling more than he already was in going inside Erin Chisholm's workout studio. First he said he forgot his water bottle (He didn't. He didn't even have one), then he complained that his outfit had holes in it (the athletic shorts _came_ with those ventilation holes in them), and finally he was spending the last few minutes standing outside of the studio with Maya, pretending to fix his appearance by his reflection in the glass. Maya didn't want to go inside either, but even she was getting fed up with Phoenix's stalling tactics.

"The sooner we go in, the sooner this is over with." Maya huffed, "I don't even wanna know the punishment for being late. It's probably, like, a thousand push-ups! Do _you_ want to do a thousand push-ups!"

"No!" Phoenix yelped, but he cleared his throat as that was a relatively pathetic outburst, "I mean, that would not be good, yes. Hold on just a second more, Maya. I'm almost done fixing everything up."

Maya gasped horrifically, "I see what games you're playing now! I saw you purposefully mess up your clothes so you have to fix them!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Maya…" Phoenix glanced away. If he was a defendant, he would be declared guilty in that very moment.

Realizing that she would get nowhere in calling out Phoenix like that, Maya just sighed and crossed her arms, looking around idly, "...So, who did'ja even invite?"

Phoenix frowned for a moment, "Uh...Well. I don't have many friends that you _don't_ know about. In fact, I think someone's coming who absolutely despises me."

"Then why invite them in the first place?"

"I needed another person, and one of _their_ friends who's also one of _my_ friends is going, so it'll work. Hopefully." Phoenix hung his head, "I don't even know anymore."

Maya patted Phoenix's shoulder, "Well… I guess we'll find out soon. Come on. Let's go in. It's 6:59. We might get that late penalty at this rate."

"Certainly don't want that!" Phoenix slicked his hair back and zipped right through the door into the studio with Maya right behind him. Looking inside, he noticed the nice laminate floors and the mirrors on all of the walls. This certainly was a dance studio.

Maya pursed her lips at the people gathered already. She should've expected to see who she saw, and it made her realize that she and Phoenix don't have a lot of friends. It was just Miles, Gumshoe, Adrian, and Franziska. The latter two were talking amongst themselves and probably gossiping, whereas Gumshoe was attempting warmup push-ups and Miles looked as if he was wondering what on earth he agreed to.

"Huh." Maya tilted her head, "I'm almost surprised Franziska didn't show up wearing a suit."

Franziska overheard that, and she simply sent a glare Maya's way.

Maya just sighed, "What gives? You and Adrian look like you just stepped off a runway. It's not fair!"

Franziska grinned slyly to herself, but Adrian just scratched her cheek bashfully, "Fabuletics. Can't work out if you don't look good." Adrian explained, flashing a smile.

"Oh, right." Maya huffed, "You rich people with your rich people workout clothes from Lordly Tailor. I can't even afford the air in there!"

Adrian shrugged sheepishly with a nervous smile, not quite sure what to say to that. Franziska simply still looked amused.

"97…98…99…100! Bam!" Gumshoe leaped up from off the ground, "100 push-ups, pal! Try and beat that!"

Miles had his eyes closed, and he just sighed and shook his head, "Detective... I heard you skip from 11 to 97. You're not fooling me."

Gumshoe deflated at that, scratching at the back of his neck in shame, "…Come on, pal. Don't snitch on me like that in front of everyone…"

At that moment, Erin came out of one of the doors to the offices in the studio, and she clapped her hands together, "Alright! Nice turnout! I hope you all are ready…because we're gonna crank things right up to a ten!" Her enthusiasm faltered for a moment, and she let out a bit of a nervous laugh, "…Right after some stretches, of course! Gotta loosen up first! Alright everyone! On the floor!"

Erin moved to the front of the room, facing the group as they all sat on the floor. When Erin joined them, she got into a straddle pose, which the rest of the group mimicked, "Remember, do what's comfortable for you. This isn't a contest to see who can do the splits."

Maya, who had sat down next to the girls, just looked over to see Adrian and Franziska doing perfect splits. Her shoulders visibly sagged, and her attention went to Phoenix instead, "Nick! I think they're mocking me..!"

"Come on, Maya.." Adrian tried to smile though it was pretty unconvincing, "We're not trying to mock you.."

"No, no.." Franziska averted her gaze away from Adrian guiltily, "...I was."

Maya turned away, crossing her arms in a pout, "...I thought we were friends, Franzy."

Erin clapped her hands, cutting off the meaningless chatter, "Lean to the right first. Stretch those back muscles out nicely… Then to the left... Aaand center... Hold it for a bit… Alright! On your feet!"

"I think I pulled something, sir…" Gumshoe grumbled faintly, slowly getting off the ground.

"You're fine, Detective." Miles sighed, "Don't overreact."

Pulling out a small remote, Erin pointed it at the speakers in the room and pressed a button, causing distinctly Latin music to start playing, probably to make for an exciting atmosphere, "Mirror my movements and you'll get the hang of it! Getting it right isn't important. Moving around and having fun is what matters!"

It started out easy enough, with a few hip sways to the beat, then some simple steps….but by the time the chorus hit, it could only really be described as a jumbled mess. The only one who knew what they were doing was Adrian, because she's actually taken this class before.

"You know…" Phoenix began, stumbling after trying to do a spin, "This has a lot more hip-shaking than I expected…"

Gumshoe essentially had given up at that point, not sweating the specifics but at least shuffling along with everyone else, "...I don't know if I like this, pal…"

Miles just grumbled something beneath his breath as he tried to follow along.

Maya was at least trying, which should have been commended. But every few seconds she'd look over at Franziska, who despite never taking a class before was keeping up with Erin and Adrian quite well, which made Maya angry, "Are you _kidding me?!_ "

Franziska just lifted her chin, flashing a smirk. Miles glanced over for a moment and quirked a brow before going back to following along with the dance, "She took ballet when she was a child. This is nothing to her."

Maya let out an irritated huff, "Of course she did… What _can't_ she do?!"

Miles smiled a bit at that, "Math. She has always been absolutely horrendous at math."

"S-Shut up, Miles!" Franziska snapped, "That was supposed to be just between us!"

Miles paid no heed to that- instead he looked back over at Maya, "Don't ask her to do basic addition. She has to do it all on her fingers."

Franziska grew flustered at that, and hurriedly she tried to dig up something on Miles as well, "W-Well… He… He did ballet too, you know! He quit because once he turned fifteen, he grew two left feet!"

Maya's jaw nearly hit the floor, "Franziska can't do math and Edgeworth did ballet?! This is too good…!"

"F-Franziska…!" Miles' eyes shot wide, "You said you would keep it a secret!"

" _You_ said you'd keep the math thing a secret!" Franziska shot back, "I'm just making it even!"

Maya raised her hands in the air in a surrender, "I've made a ginormous mistake."

"Mayaaa!" Phoenix's shoulders slumped, "Look at what you've done! They're in a shouting match now!"

Because both Franziska and Miles stopped dancing to have their little fight, they got in the way of the remaining few who kept dancing (which were only Adrian and Gumshoe at that point), which, of course, only meant trouble. Gumshoe, with his complete lack of grace, stumbled after a move, crashing right into Miles. In a split-second panic as he fell, Miles reached out instinctively to try and grab onto something, something which happened to be Phoenix's shirt, which dragged Phoenix down to the ground as well. Maya stepped backwards, trying to avoid the commotion, but she ended up bumping into Franziska, and that wouldn't have been a bad thing if Adrian wasn't still trying to follow along with the dance, because Adrian ran right into Franziska and Maya at that moment. They all fell to the ground, and the entire group had been knocked down at that point.

Erin paused the music and looked back at the mess in front of her, hands on her hips and her eyebrows furrowed, "...Alright. How the hell did this happen?"

Maya, facedown on the floor, raised her hand into the air at that, "Marvelous question. I wish I knew the answer."

Gumshoe lifted his head off the ground and looked around, "...Hey. Where did Edgeworth go?" Suddenly he felt the ground beneath him shuffle, and Gumshoe looked below him to see that he had completely squashed Miles underneath him, "...S-Sorry, sir!" He hurriedly got up, freeing Miles.

"For someone whose diet is solely instant noodles…" Miles muttered as he pushed himself off the floor, "...you have a lot of heft to you still."

Meanwhile, Adrian pushed off the ground and sat back, brushing the hair out of her face. Franziska propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Adrian on top of her with an arched eyebrow, "Heh, well… This certainly is not how I imagined the end to my Friday night…"

Adrian just looked at Franziska strangely until she realized that she had been sitting on top of Franziska, then she hurriedly scrambled off of her, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't even notice! I didn't mean to…!"

Phoenix and Maya just looked around at what was happening, sighing collectively and shaking their heads.

"This was a disaster…" Phoenix mumbled, "Gumshoe crushed and probably broke Edgeworth…and I don't even wanna know what's happening between Franziska and Adrian at this point."

"You said it…" Maya said, exasperated.

* * *

That night at around 8, when Phoenix finally was able to go home after the disastrous workout class, he received a strange phone call. The second he answered, he could recognize the voice on the other line, and it did not spell good for Phoenix.

"Chris Archer…" Phoenix said cautiously, "What is it now? Our agreement was that you turned yourself in, so you can get a lighter sentence… What's holding you?"

"Before I do that, I just want to meet you one more time." Chris's voice sounded devious and conniving on the other line, "Can you make it to Gourd Lake Park in an hour?"

Phoenix was naturally suspicious, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He knew Chris Archer was guilty, and he knew that he only had a few options when it came to ensuring Chris got the sentence he deserved… At this point, Phoenix had to play along to Chris's every whim if he had any hopes of Chris turning himself in, "…Fine. I'll be there."

"Nice. Nice." Chris sounded pleased, but that strange sly tone still remained, "I'll see you then. Come alone, though I think that goes without saying."

Clenching his jaw, Phoenix just tore the phone away from his ear and hung up. This situation with Chris has been a thorn in his side since his trial… and it seemed like Phoenix couldn't be rid of him just yet.

* * *

Phoenix left for Gourd Lake Park nearly immediately after receiving that phone call. He didn't want Chris to get there first and try and play some funny business on him. The sun was still up, and some kids were still out playing at the park. Phoenix smiled a bit at that, and around that time he felt something hit his foot. He looked down, seeing a baseball. A kid waved at him then pointed at the ball.

"Hey, mister!" The kid shouted, "Think you could throw that back?"

Phoenix bent down and picked down the ball before tossing it over. The kid caught it easily, and suddenly it looked like an idea popped into his tiny head.

"Say, mister! Do you know how to play?" The kid was beaming at this point, a huge smile on his face, "My dad can hit the ball really far! Can you do that too? I wanna see it!"

Phoenix stopped for a moment and gazed upward in thought, scratching the back of his neck, "I mean… I think I can? I haven't played in forever…"

The kid handed a bat over to Phoenix, "You can try!" He turned over towards his friends, "Run really far back! We gotta try and catch this thing!"

Not wanting to say no, Phoenix took the bat and got into a stance. The kid threw the ball towards him and Phoenix swung his bat, hitting the baseball far to the right. Another boy dove and tumbled to catch it, and then all the kids cheered.

The first kid was still smiling really wide, and he turned back to Phoenix with stars in his eyes, "Wow… You're really good! But not as good as my dad!"

Phoenix laughed, handing the bat back, "Hah, of course. I'm out of practice, after all."

"Alright, kiddos." A voice suddenly said, "Playtime's over. Run along now."

The kids froze, and the one threw down the bat and started running away. The other children followed along, running as fast as possible away. Phoenix turned to the source of the voice, spotting none other than Chris Archer a few feet away.

"Come on…" Phoenix sighed, shaking his head, "You didn't have to scare the kids like that."

Chris just shrugged nonchalantly, "Didn't want any witnesses. Can't even trust kids in this world. They're too prone to snitch."

"Why did you call me here?" Phoenix narrowed his eyes.

Chris walked around a bit, taking his sweet time in responding. He picked up the bat, glancing at the handiwork, "...Well, would you look at that. I think this is homemade." He grinned slightly, waving the bat at Phoenix, "I almost feel bad that I made them leave it behind."

Phoenix was still wary, and he stared Chris down, "You haven't answered the question."

"Ah, right…" Chris sighed, snapping to admonish himself, "My mistake. You see, there's been a change of plans…" He said as he walked closer.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I'm not going to prison...and that's final." Chris reeled the bat back and struck it against Phoenix's head, knocking him down.

Phoenix felt weak at that point, like he was barely hanging on. He could hear the rustling of the leaves as Chris walked about, but it was hard to discern definitively, since Phoenix was fading in and out of consciousness. The last thing he heard was a voice, then someone going down the nearby slide and landing with a thud. After that, everything just went black.


End file.
